Klang, Malaysia Daily Photo

Jan 2012 CDP Theme Day - Year of Rabbit 2011 a good year for marriage?

2012-01-01T21:23:00.009+08:00

Today is City Daily Photo Theme Day. I captured this photo from my TV screen while I was watching the live telecast of The Royal Wedding on 29 April 2011 at 6.13pm local time. I choose this as my Photo of The Year 2011.

I was enchanted with this fairy tale wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton and I sincerely wish that they will have a "..... and they lived happily ever after" ending. I like the way he held her hand as they looked into each others' eyes and how everyone else were so happy for them. It shows here, don't you think so?

Do you know that in a Year of The Rabbit, many Chinese couples tie the knot. 2011 happened to be such a year, hence there were many weddings in 2011 with restaurants and venues fully booked. This is because it is hoped that the following year will bring forth a Dragon baby which is good news for parents and grandparents. It is believed that a dragon child, especially a dragon baby boy will bring instant good chi and hence lots of good luck and fortune to the blessed family.

2012 is the Year of The Dragon. It is expected that there will be a baby boom, to be followed a few years later with high enrollment in kindergartens, schools and colleges, making it very competitive among dragon children.

Happy New Year 2012!

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Economy, Fast and Efficient Haircut By The Indian Barber

2011-12-01T00:03:00.008+08:00

Today is City Daily Photo Theme Day for December 2011, the theme is "Action".

Who do you go to when you need a fast, cheap and efficient haircut? Well, the trusted Indian barber of course! These people are experts and master craftsmen because they will always shake their heads (which signifies a YES) when you ask if they can do this style or that style, crew cut no. 1,2 or 3, Bollywood, Hollywood, David Beckam, Johnny Depp, K-Pop Rain, Justin Bieber, curly, spiky, classic, trendy or even Master Q - no problem at all!

The cost is about RM 8.00 or USD 2.42 for a 15 min hair cut. Some enterprising shops are situated just next to a car wash centre, so you could get a haircut and head massage while waiting for your car to be cleaned.

Just that - it looks like this is a 'guys only' thingy. I have never seen a lady come for a hair cut at such shops.

Where do you go for your haircut?

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“Economy, Fast and Efficient Haircut By The Indian Barber”, a copyrighted post, was written for Klang, Malaysia Daily Photo blog by Autumn Belle @ http://mymalaysiadailyphoto.blogspot.com on December 1st, 2011.

St. Jacques Chastan Memorial Monument in Penang

2011-11-01T09:33:00.003+08:00

The signage reads:

Father Jacques Chastan - Saint

4th Parish Priest of Immaculate Conception Church

From 1830-1833

21st Sept 1839 - Martyred in Korea

6th May 1984 - The only parish priest in Malaysia

Declared a Saint by Pope John Paul II.

St. Chastan, pray for us.

I photographed this near to the glutton square in Pulau Tikus (Rat Island), Georgetown, Penang.

For further information, please visit French Wikipedia here.

Today is City Daily Photo Theme Day for Nov 2011. The theme is "FENCES".
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"St. Jacques Chastan Memorial Monument in Penang”, a copyrighted post, was written for Klang, Malaysia Daily Photo blog by Autumn Belle @ http://mymalaysiadailyphoto.blogspot.com/.

This is my entry for Our World Tuesday Week 10, formerly My World Tuesday founded by Klaus Peter, now hosted by Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia and Sandy. The link is here.

City Daily Photo Theme Day Oct 2011 - Mystery Object

2011-10-01T06:31:00.004+08:00

Today is City Daily Photo's theme day for October 2011. The theme is Mystery Object.

The mystery hanging objects are called "Buddha's Hands". Have you heard of Citron fruits?

I like the citron tea, "yujacha" (柚子茶) served at a Korean Barbecue Restaurant here.

Citron fruits are produced from a small tree, the scientific name of the tree is Citrus medica. The fruits are usually oval to rounded in shape and turn from green to a golden yellow when riped. Those pictured above are extreme forms when the fruits become divided into fingers called "fingered citron" or "Buddha's hand citron".

The citron was already cultivated in Mesopotamia before 500BC.

To read more about Buddha's hands, click here.

These items are for sale at Chin Pomelo Farm, the place I photographed them. You can also view a specimen tree at the Secret Garden of 1-Utama, Petaling Jaya. I have seen the rounded fruits as well as fingered citron there.

“City Daily Photo Theme Day Oct 2011 - Mystery Object”, a copyrighted post, was written for Klang, Malaysia Daily Photo blog by Autumn Belle @ http://mymalaysiadailyphoto.blogspot.com on October 1st, 2011.

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City Daily Photo Theme Day Sept 2011 - Perspective

2011-09-01T23:55:00.001+08:00

Sunrise at JW Mariot Putrajaya

Some men see things as they are and ask why.

Others dream things that never were and ask why not.

~George Bernard Shaw

What is true by lamplight is not always true by sunlight.

~Joseph Joubert

Today is City Daily Photo Theme Day for September 2011. This month the topic is "Perspective".
Do you think that it is important to look at the past in order to gain a perspective on the present?
What are your thoughts about now, then and the future?

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This is also my entry for Skywatch Friday Season 5, Episode 8, the link is here.
“City Daily Photo Theme Day Sept 2011- Perspective”, a copyrighted post, was written for Klang, Malaysia Daily Photo blog by Autumn Belle @ http://mymalaysiadailyphoto.blogspot.com/ on Sept 1st, 2011.

Sunrise at Copthorne Orchid Hotel Penang

2011-08-13T17:10:00.008+08:00

The Copthorne Orchid Hotel Penang is located at the Tanjung Bungah beach. This 3 star hotel has a private beach. The Penang Toy Museum which is right in front of this hotel. Wifi was free. Breakfast was simple but taste was okay.

Tanjung Bungah is situated between Batu Ferringhi beach and also the Georgetown city centre. It is also not far from the Penang Butterfly Farm.

"Sunrise at Copthorne Orchid Hotel Penang”, a copyrighted post, was written for Klang, Malaysia Daily Photo blog by Autumn Belle @ http://mymalaysiadailyphoto.blogspot.com/ on August 13th, 2011

Some rooms have a terrace or balcony where one can relax on the deck chairs and enjoy the scenic views of the sea and blue skies.

We could watch the sunrise from the comfort of our hotel room window. Below are a series of photos taken from 7:00am onwards, just after an early morning drizzle.

The sun's rays beautifully reflected on the water.

This is my entry for Skywatch Friday, the link is here.
This is also my entry for Weekend Reflections, the link is here.

City Daily Photo Theme Day Aug 2011 - Postcard Worthy

2011-08-01T00:03:00.002+08:00

This picture was taken at the Growers Show Gardens at Putrajaya Floria 2011 Flower and Garden Festival which was held on 9-17 July.

This was a favourite location for portrait photography. I even saw a bride and groom taking their wedding photos here.

“City Daily Photo Theme Day Aug 2011”, a copyrighted post, was written for Klang, Malaysia Daily Photo blog by Autumn Belle @ http://mymalaysiadailyphoto.blogspot.com on Aug 1st, 2011.

Today is City Daily Photo Theme Day for August 2011. The theme is "Postcard Worthy".
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Hard Rock Hotel Penang

2011-07-20T08:13:00.003+08:00

The Hard Rock Hotel Penang is a luxury resort located along the popular beach of Batu Ferringhi, Penang. It boasts of having the largest free-from swimming pool in Penang with accomodation of 250 rooms and suites. It also promises fun and entertaining experience for the whole family, young and old, love birds couples as well as for singles.

In Asia, there are 2 other Hard Rock Hotels; one in Bali and another in Pattaya.

The photos here were captured during my visit to Penang Island in December 2010.

“Hard Rock Hotel Penang”, a copyrighted post, was written for Klang, Malaysia Daily Photo blog by Autumn Belle @ http://mymalaysiadailyphoto.blogspot.com on July 20, 2011.

This signboard at the entrance outside reminds one of Elvis Presley, the King of Rock.
But what do the initials "ELP" stand for?

A beautiful display of fantasy lights greets the customers who walk into the lobby.

The lights changes colours at regular intervals which make it even more enchanting.

This stylish hotel has an ultra hip lobby.

It was reported in the papers that: There is a "Kings Suite" dedicated to Elvis Presley.

This suite is equipped with 2 bedrooms, a living space, a Jacuzzi and a private pool.

The Lobby Bar is just next to the reception counter.

The Hard Rock hotel chain started with a single cafe which opened its doors on 14th June, 1971 as a regular restaurant in London. Now it is into its 4th decade, it is home to the legendary 10oz burger and mashed potatoes. It has expanded to include a chain of hotels that are synonymous with fun and youthfullness.

This one needs no introduction. I'm sure you know who they are!

In 1979, the owners receivved the gift of an unsigned guitar (a red Fender) from Eric Clapton.

This prompted Pete Townsend (The Who) to give on eof his guitars,

also un-signed with a note, "Mine's as good as his! Love, Pete."

Today Hard Rock's archive includes over 70,000 items,

most of which are stored in a museum called, "The Vault" in London.

The Penang hotel has 500 pieces of rock 'n' roll memorabilia in its collection:

the familiar black robe belonging to James Brown
black sparkle guitar that Paul Stanley from Kiss played on their farewell tour in Sydney.

The beatles!

Penang Batu Ferringhi Sidewalk Bazaar (Pasar Malam / Night Market)

2011-07-02T11:06:00.002+08:00

Batu Ferringhi Penang is famous for its beautiful beaches where people come here for fun, sun and surf. After sundown, it is time for some relaxation and perhaps a leisurely walk around the area.

During the day, this strip may be quiet but when night falls, it is a hive of activities. Also known as Batu Ferringhi Sidewalk Bazaar, it stretches from Shangri-la Rasa Sayang Resort to Casuarina Beach Resort. It is about 1-2km long. We locals simply call it 'Pasar Malam' meaning Night Market. The place offers many choices for dining, shopping, entertainment and relaxation.

For our dining pleasure, there are plenty of eateries, cafes, restaurants and pubs.

“Penang Batu Ferringhi Sidewalk Bazaar (Pasar Malam / Night Market)”, a copyrighted post, was written for Klang, Malaysia Daily Photo blog by Autumn Belle @ http://mymalaysiadailyphoto.blogspot.com on July 2nd 2011.

A mini market to replenish our provisions of snacks, drinks, toilleteries and other basic necessities. There's even a mini government health clinic next to this grocery stall which is situated near to a bus-stop.

For shopaholics, there are many stalls selling a wide range of items such as souvenirs, clothes, batik and sarongs, women accessories, watches, belts, handbags, luggage bags, CDs and DVDs, children toys and games sets.

Good bargaining skills are needed here. One can also sample some local street food.

Batu Ferringhi when translated from malay to english literally means "Foreigner's Rock".

Tailor shops that delivers with 12 hours!

City Daily Photo Theme Day for July 2011 - The Colour Green

2011-07-01T12:59:00.001+08:00

The bench below this big shady tree is a good gathering place for a few elderly friends on an idyllic Saturday morning. This area is a playground with foot reflexology paths for healthy exercises. The place is in front of Gunung Hijau School in Pusing town. The Pusing Chinese Temple and Gunung Hijau School is further up on the right.

“City Daily Photo Theme Day for July 2011 - The Colour Green”, a copyrighted post, was written for Klang, Malaysia Daily Photo blog by Autumn Belle @ http://mymalaysiadailyphoto.blogspot.com/ on July 1st, 2011.

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Duanwu Festival 2011

2011-06-06T16:33:00.012+08:00

Today on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month is Duanwu Festival. It is a working day in Malaysia.

HAPPY DUANWU FESTIVAL!

Duanwu Festival is also known as Dumpling Festival, Dragon Boat Festival or Chang Festival. The festival is about Qu Yuan, a much loved and admired ancient Chinese poet cum scholar who committed suicide by jumping into the river. He was devasted because the king refused to listen to his advice. To prevent his body from being devoured by fishes, the people made chang (dumplings) and threw them into the river hoping that the fishes would feed on the dumplings instead of his body. Now, every year during this festival, the Chinese follow this tradition of making and eating chang to commemorate Qu's patriotism and loyalty towards the king and country.

“Duanwu Festival 2011!”, a copyrighted post, was written for Klang, Malaysia Daily Photo blog by Autumn Belle @ http://mymalaysiadailyphoto.blogspot.com/ on June 6th, 2011

There are many types of 'chang' or zongzhi in various shapes and sizes depending on the dialect group, and cultural influences. Some examples are Cantonese style with mung beans, Hokkien, Hakka, Teochew and Nyonya. Nyonya changs are uniquely Malaysian in that the glutinuous rice are tinted blue with a natural dye made from the flowers of our native plant, the butterfly pea. The filling is also quite spicy.

The main ingredients used to make chang are glutinuous rice and beans such as broad beans, red beans and mung beans. For the Dumpling Recipe, you can visit this link at kuali.com.

For the fillings, the ingredients are salted egg yolk, mushrooms, meat (chicken or pork) cooked with 5 spice powder and chestnuts.

Some like to add some preserved vegetables and chopped garlic.

The most difficult part is tying the dumpling securely so that the contents will not spill out during the cooking/steaming process. This needs a lot of practise before one can perfect the skill. To prevent wastage, some people practise by wrapping sand in mango leaves. Dumpling making used to be a family skill passed on from moms to their daughters in every household. Now, not many people do this anymore.

Dried bamboo leaves are used to wrap the dumplings. The strings are made from a seawater reed plant (harm sui cho) or the banana trunk.
Lastly, do remember to go back early to have dinner with your family members.

This is my entry for My World Tuesday, the link is here.

June 2011 City Daily Photo Theme Day - Under Construction

2011-06-01T16:04:00.003+08:00

Signage at KLCC Park in April 2011.

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Scenic Views at Paradise Sandy Beach Resort Penang

2011-05-23T08:26:00.008+08:00

1. Afternoon

The above photos are taken in December 2010 from the balcony of a hotel room at Paradise Sandy Beach Resort Penang.

“Scenic Views at Paradise Sandy Beach Resort Penang”, a copyrighted post, was written for Klang, Malaysia Daily Photo blog by Autumn Belle @ http://mymalaysiadailyphoto.blogspot.com/ on May 23, 2011.

2. Evening

3. Just before sunset

4. Night

5. At the break of dawn

This is my entry for My World Tuesday, the link is here.

Dinner at The Ship Batu Ferringhi, Penang

2011-05-08T17:16:00.007+08:00

Whenever I come to Penang, I'd like to have dinner here at The Ship Batu Ferringhi.

I like the ambience, good food and good service.

They boast to "serve the best steak in town."
Last December 2010, I dined there with my children.

“Dinner at The Ship Batu Ferringhi, Penang”, a copyrighted post, was written for Klang, Malaysia Daily Photo blog by Autumn Belle @ http://mymalaysiadailyphoto.blogspot.com/ on May 8th, 2011.

Appetizer is fresh shrimp cocktail.

My favourite soups.

Escargots Bourguinonne, delicious French snails perfectly baked in chablis garlic sauce.

Roasted rack of lamb topped with black peppermint sauce

served with broccoli, corn on the cob and baked potatoes.

Seafood Platter consists of grilled king prawns, fish fillet, grilled squid,

fried soft shell crab, fried scallop served with french fries and mini salad.

Grilled salmon with tiger prawns served with french fries, corn on the cob and mini salad.

I like to eat mine with a wee bit of French mustard.

Dessert is baked cheese cake.

Iced lemon tea - my son's all time fave drink.

What are you having for dinner with MOM today?

Happy Mother's Day!

This is my entry for My World Tuesday, the link is here.

City Daily Photo Theme Day for May 2011 - Mailbox

2011-05-01T09:38:00.012+08:00

This is the post office (Pos Malaysia) in the little town I grew up in. It is in the outskirts of Perak state, Malaysia. The red mailbox on the left is for general mail while the yellow one is for express mail. The twin buildings on the right behind the pos office are the W.C. or lavatories (for staff and not for the public).

The building used to be a converted kampong styled house with stilts. The office is at the front portion of the building while the back portion of the building is used as the living quarters for the postmaster.

During those days, there was only one postman and he delivered letters by bicycle, rain or shine. The bicycle was red in colour and the letters or documents were put inside a bag which he carried around with him. We loved to hear the sound of his bell… Ring! Ring! Ring! It meant that we have letters and news from afar. Later, his bicycle was upgraded to a motorbike. Mr Postman also acted as the translator or letter reader for the illiterate villagers and town people here. Some of them did not have valid addresses (e.g. squatters or those who stayed close to the ulu-ulu jungle) but he knew where to find them to deliver the letters, aerograms, parcels and packages. We could also also hand over to him our letters to be posted. Those days many of us do not have a telephone line. Sometimes, he brought urgent news which may be good or bad in the form of a ‘telegram’. Everybody in town knew him, our one and only Mr. Postman. … Oh yes, wait a minute Mister Postman, wait Mister Postman. Please Mister Postman, look and see, Oh yeah, If there's a letter in your bag for me...

When I was little, I used to come here with mum and sister to deposit our Chinese New Year ang pow money, coin savings or savings from pocket money from grandpa, grandma, mum and dad. I really looked forward to coming here. At other times, I would also come here to buy stamps, first-day covers or aerograms to post to our pen-pals from overseas. Sometimes mum would accompany our neighbour, Aunty YT here to help her deposit her hard earned savings. Aunty YT was illiterate and made a living holding a few jobs e.g. ‘dulang-washing’ for tin ore, tapping rubber trees for latex, growing vegetables, rearing chickens and ducks or doing odd jobs like washing clothes or sweeping house compounds. She used to hide her savings under the pillow or in urns under her bed. Quite often all the money would get stolen. One day, mum taught her how to save money by opening an account at the post office. She was very happy when she found that she could earn interest from the money saved and see her money grow.

Have you ever saved money at the post office?
Do you still remember your post office savings book?

“City Daily Photo Theme Day for May 2011 - Mailbox”, a copyrighted post, was written for Klang, Malaysia Daily Photo blog by Autumn Belle @ http://mymalaysiadailyphoto.blogspot.com/ on May 1st, 2011.

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Sunset over the New Klang City Flyover

2011-04-22T19:51:00.004+08:00

Now that the new flyover project has been completed and opened, the notorious traffic jams in Klang has reduced significantly. It is quite a breeze whizzing by. This flyover is built over the congested roundabout in the heart of Klang city. Seeing sunsets on the way home is something I get to enjoy. The tall buildings in front are the Bank of China and Wisma Lay Hong followed by the Klang Branch of the Inland Revenue Building, a reminder to file our individual taxes by April 30th.

Wishing you Happy Earth Day and may you have a blessed Good Friday!

This is my entry for Skywatch Friday, Season 4 Episode 41, the link is here.

Penang Town Hall - A Penang World Heritage Site

2011-04-17T15:20:00.005+08:00

This is a continuation of my walk down the Esplanade area in Penang. This colonial building is the Penang Town Hall. I am very thankful that this historical heritage site is still well preserved. There is a beautiful open field, Padang Kota Lama in front of this majestic building.

The construction of the Penang Town Hall began in 1879 was completed by 1883. It had an assembly hall, and a grand ballroom. The Prince of Wales Library was moved here and renamed the Penang Library. With further extension of an annex in 1890, a porch and top floor added in 1903 and a cement plastered left wing in 1930, the Town Hall was complete.

"Penang Town Hall", a copyrighted post, was written for Klang, Malaysia Daily Photo blog by Autumn Belle @ http://mymalaysiadailyphoto.blogspot.com/ on April 17th, 2011.

During the late 19th and early 20th century, the Penang Town Hall was

Social meeting place for the rich and famous and a venue for theatrical performances and bangsawan plays.
The Wesley Church held services here
It was a location shoot for the movie Anna and the King, the courtroom segment of which was filmed here in 1999.

The Penang Town Hall, was gazetted as a historic monument on 29 July 1993.

This is my entry for Scenic Sunday, the link is here.

A Walk Along Penang Esplanade

2011-04-15T09:03:00.004+08:00

Fort Cornwallis is named after the 18th century Governor-General of Bengal, India, Charles Cornwallis. It's origin dates back to 1810. It is the largest standing fort in Malaysia. In its entire history, this fort had never engaged in any battle.

You can see some old cannons at the fort. The largest cannon, known as the Seri Rambai Cannon, was cast in 1603. It was a gift from the Dutch to the Sultan of Johore in 1606. In 1613, the Portuguese took possession of Seri Rambai. The cannon was taken to Java, where it stayed until 1795, when it was given to Acheh and brought to Kuala Selangor. The British seized the cannon and placed it in the fort in 1871. Other attractions to look out for include the following:

A replica of the camp set up by the British upon their first landing Penang.
A statue of Captain Francis Light.
The Fort Cornwallis Chapel

The fort has been gazetted on Sept 8, 1977, under the Antiquities Act 168/ 1976, as an Ancient Monument and Historic site.

The Fort Cornwallis Lighthouse is the second oldest lighthouse in Malaysia.

A cenopath to remember war heroes.

Updated 11.11.11

This cenopath is a memorial for the military personnel and civilians who lost their lives and died fighting gallantly to protect the country, i.e. the fallen heroes in the various wars that took place after 1914. A Rememberance Day event was started in 2001. I think this is a yearly affair attended by the Penang Veterans Associaiton (PVA) with wreath-laying ceremony and observation of two minute silence as a mark of respect to honour those killed in the war.

"We must never forget the ravages and loss of lives during WW I and WW II. War is dreadful and should be avoided whenever possible. Let us remember the strength and determination shown by our uniform combat forces, police and local militia who defended human dignity. We mus also remember the Commonwealth forces who came to our aid and stood by us during our time of need." ..... Lim Guan Eng, Penang Chief Minister, Star Metro 11 Nov 2011

For more Skywatch Friday Season 4 Episode 40 pictures and to participate, please visit the Skywatch site.

City Daily Photo Theme Day for April 2011 - Edge

2011-04-01T20:28:00.006+08:00

A person can grow only as much as his horizon allows.

..... John Powell

The above is a view of the vast horizon a short distance away from Swettenham Pier. A long long time ago, the horizon used to be regarded as the edge of the world. During the pre-war days, single people liked to visit the promenade here during Chap Goh Meh (Chinese Valentine's Day) to throw mandarin oranges into the sea in the hope of meeting that special someone in their lives.

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For more Skywatch Friday Season 4 Episode 38 pictures and to participate, please visit the Skywatch site.

Queen Victoria Memorial Clock Tower - Penang Heritage Trail

2011-03-27T06:03:00.010+08:00

On the second day of our Penang trip in December 2010, we had an hour to spare in the early evening, so we went for a leisurely drive along the Esplanade. I notice that there are many different types of buildings, old and new, vintage and modern next to each other. They look like new after being given a fresh coat of paint.

The Queen Victoria Memorial Clock Tower in the picture above is located at King Edward Place (Pesara King Edward) which is just next to the Penang Port Commission. This 60 ft tall tower is a famous landmark in George Town, Penang. It was built in 1897 by a Penang Chinese tycoon, Cheah Chen Eok to commemorate the diamond jubilee of Queen Victoria's reign. He had spent 35,000 Straits dollars to complete this clock tower in 1902. Sadly, Queen Victoria (24 May 1819 - 22 Jan 1901) had already passed on by then, so she didn't get to see this clock tower.

Malaysia is among one of the many commonwealth nations around the world with memorial places dedicated to her.

Just next to the historical clock tower is the modern Inland Revenue Department (IRD) or Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri (LHDN) buiding. The metal sculpture in front of the IRD Building is the shape of a betel nut. A betel nut is called 'buah pinang' in malay language and it is from this that Penang got its name.

“Queen Victoria Memorial Clock Tower - Penang Heritage Trail”, a copyrighted post, was written for Klang, Malaysia Daily Photo blog by Autumn Belle @ http://mymalaysiadailyphoto.blogspot.com on March 27th, 2011.

When you are visiting this landmark, look out for the following

a) Words inscribed on the base tier of the clock tower that says, 'This clock tower is presented to Penang by Cheah Chen Eok in commemoration of Her Majesty Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee 1837-1897'.

b) If you take a good look from a short distance away, notice that this clock tower is slightly leaning, probably due to the bombings suffered during the World War II and also due to the ravages of time.

c) Count the steps of the staircase leading up to the main door. There are 6 steps in total, indicating the number of decades of Queen Victoria's reign.

d) This tower is 60 ft tall, each foot for each year of her reign.

e) The architecture is Moorish and it has 4 tiers. The top tier is rounded off with Roman pillars and a domed cupola. The next 2 tiers are decorated with 4 working clocks, balconies and windows. The base tier is octagonal.

f) If you are taking pictures, you will notice that the colour tones of the building changes according to the time of the day.

Teluk Bahang Roundabout Penang

2011-02-24T17:31:00.007+08:00

On my way to the Penang Butterfly Farm, I passed by this roundabout. People like us who are not Penang locals will find this landmark useful if we want to go to Teluk Bahang wet market, Mutiara Beach Resort, Penang Cultural Centre and also the Pantai Aceh Forest Reserve, Penang National Park and Teluk Bahang Forest Park (Taman Rimba Teluk Bahang). Teluk Bahang in malay means 'heated bay'. It is a fishing village at the northwestern tip of Penang Island.

As I was passing by this place, I was excited over other things, like this free range village chicken who is free to roam the streets. Now, I hardly get to see the live ones in the city. My children only get to view the fried ones at KFC, McDonald's, and perhaps the live ones they get to see at the zoo, holiday resorts or when they balik kampung. It has also been a long time since I heard a mother hen clucking noisily or a rooster crowing happily early in the morning.

“Teluk Bahang Roundabout”, a copyrighted post, was written for Klang, Malaysia Daily Photo blog by Autumn Belle @ http://mymalaysiadailyphoto.blogspot.com/ on February 24th, 2011.

I also get to sample very delicious roti canai, our very own Malaysian 'flying pancake' with egg at a mamak stall overlooking this roundabout.

Tronoh My Hometown

2011-02-18T17:33:00.022+08:00

Although I was born in Ipoh, Tronoh (端洛) was my hometown until the 1980's.

During my journey back to Tronoh recently, we passed by this picturesque scene of buffaloes grazing under the hot afternoon sun somewhere near Seputeh town.

This familiar scene reminded me of my childhood and school days. I have passed by this scenic spot many times when I travelled daily to and from school by bus. School was in Batu Gajah which was about 30km or 40 min drive. We depended on the green and white 'general bus' or 'school general bus' owned by the Ipoh Omnibus Company. Some of us used the private mini school buses. I would wake up at 5:00 am and helped mom with the housework while she cooked my breakfast and packed my lunch. My bus journey would start at 6:00am and I would arrive at school around 6:40am. After I left home and settled down in the Klang Valley, I always look forward to my 'balik kampung' trips and this is the scene that would remind me that I'd be home soon. The feeling is even more nostalgic now that my parents are no longer around. On and off, I still miss this 'cowboy town' as we fondly call it ... Yeah, yeah, Country Roads, take me home, to the place where I belong ...

The following pictures were taken in 2007. Now, some of the buildings are no longer in operation. Each of the pictures tells a story of Tronoh during my childhood days.

This is the post office (Pos Malaysia). The building used to be a converted kampong styled house with stilts. The office is at the front portion of the building while the back portion of the building is used as the living quarters for the postmaster. During those days, there was only one postman and he delivered letters by bicycle, rain or shine. The bicycle was red in colour and the letters or documents were put inside a bag which he carried around with him. We loved to hear the sound of his bell… Ring! Ring! Ring! It meant that we have letters and news from afar. Later, his bicycle was upgraded to a motorbike. Mr Postman also acted as the translator or letter reader for the illiterate villagers and town people here. Some of them did not have valid addresses (e.g. squatters or those who stayed close to the ulu-ulu jungle) but he knew where to find them to deliver the letters, aerograms, parcels and packages. We could also also hand over to him our letters to be posted. Those days many of us do not have a telephone line. Sometimes, he brought urgent news which may be good or bad in the form of a ‘telegram’. Everybody in town knew him, our one and only Mr. Postman. … Oh yes, wait a minute Mister Postman, wait Mister Postman. Please Mister Postman, look and see, Oh yeah, If there's a letter in your bag for me...

When I was little, I used to come here with mum and sister to deposit our Chinese New Year ang pow money, coin savings or savings from pocket money from grandpa, grandma, mum and dad. I really looked forward to coming here. At other times, I would also come here to buy stamps, first-day covers or aerograms to post to our pen-pals from overseas. Sometimes mum would accompany our neighbour, Aunty YT here to help her deposit her hard earned savings. Aunty YT was illiterate and made a living holding a few jobs e.g. ‘dulang-washing’ for tin ore, tapping rubber trees for latex, growing vegetables, rearing chickens and ducks or doing odd jobs like washing clothes or sweeping house compounds. She used to hide her savings under the pillow or in urns but quite often all the money would get stolen. One day, mum taught her how to save money by opening an account at the post office. She was very happy when she found that she could earn interest from the money saved and see her money grow.

“Tronoh My Hometown”, a copyrighted post, was written for Klang, Malaysia Daily Photo blog by Autumn Belle @ http://mymalaysiadailyphoto.blogspot.com/ on February 18th, 2011.

This is the Lutheran Church. It also functioned as a kindergarden in the mornings. My brother went to preschool here from 8am to 11:30am in 1980. On Sundays, many boys and girls liked to come here to take part in church activities, make new friends and to network. This church is situated next to the post office. There used to be a frangipani (plumeria) tree quite near to its entrance at the gate. We love to pick the white frangipani flowers to make into garlands to wear just like the girls we see on Hawaii Five O on TV. I have also seen grandma boiled the dried frangipani flowers with some herbs as a rejuvenating health drink for Aunt 'ku cher'.

The Penghulu’s house, the Forest Ranger’s hostel, the Police Station and police hostel, the English Primary School and teachers quarters, the Water Works department head, Electricity Board head, Telecoms head and also our assistant headmistress, Mrs C’s houses were situated along this same street that leads from the town centre to the Ho Sin Ku temple and the Ho Pak Yew tin mine at the end of the road. Each house looked like the traditional kampong house and has a garage next to it. We may have a bush or hedge around the perimeter of the house, but seldom any fencing that separates the neighbours from each other.

This used to be our school gardener, Mr M’s house. It is an all-in-one kitchen, living room, dining room cum bedroom. Although very poor, he had a beautiful wife who is much younger than him. He spent most of his money at the toddy shop in town. He often beat up his wife when he got drunk. To run away from this violence, she would hide somewhere or sleep in the streets. In this house he has fathered many children, many of them girls.

This was Cikgu M’s house. Mum used to bring us here to visit the cikgu during Hari Raya. His daughter attended the same school with sister and me. We really looked forward to our visits here and loved the lemang, rendang, chicken curry and many different types of colourful, sweet and tasty Malay kuih and cookies very much. We also got to sample homemade teh tarik, air cincau and rose water here. When it was time to go home, the cikgu’s wife would pack some of the raya food for us to bring home. At night this house would be decorated with colourful twinkling lights or the traditional oil lamps, 'lampu minyak' during the festive season. It was calm and peaceful then, so there was no need for any gate or perimeter fencing. We could just run up and down to our friend’s house to play hide and seek or ‘masak-masak’. We loved to play on the sandy floor under the house.

Additional Infomation from Wikipedia:

Teronoh (or Tronoh, Ternoh) is a small tin-mining town located some 30 km south of the Perak state capital Ipoh in Malaysia.

The tin-mining industry boom during the early 20th century saw Teronoh grow from a small village into a major town. The centre of the mining field containing the mine of the Tronoh Mines Company, Ltd. was the village of Tronoh. The Tronoh Mines Company Ltd. belonged to Chung Thye Phin, a rich businessman (towkay) and last Chinese Kapitan of Perak and Malaya. It was here in Tronoh that Thye Phin's famous deep-shaft mine could be found.

A railway line linking the town and Ipoh was completed in 1909 and used to transport tin ore. The tracks were dismantled by the Japanese during World War II and were never rebuilt. Shortly after the war ended the tin industry deteriorated, and with it, the importance of the town.

The main road that used to cut through town linking Ipoh with the seaside town of Lumut has been replaced by a new highway bypassing the town. Today Teronoh is a sleepy little town although that may change giving that two universities (Universiti Teknologi Petronas and Universiti Teknologi MARA) are in the vicinity.

Tronoh town offers some of the best and cheapest economic Chinese food in the whole of Malaysia, some claiming it to be even better than Penang's economic food.

Happy Chinese New Year 2011 !

2011-02-03T06:48:00.002+08:00

Hawker Food at Gurney Drive Penang

2011-01-20T22:23:00.005+08:00

Gurney Drive Penang is famous for hawker food, 'open air' style. Many locals and Penangites tell me this is not the place to go if you wish to sample genuine and delicious Penang food. I ended up at this place because earlier on my family and I had been enjoying ourselves basking in the beauty of the sunset along the promenade. By sundown, the place was be very congested which would make it very difficult to find a parking space. The hawker center is just a walk away from where we parked our car.

As expected the place was already very crowded by the time we got there. There were so many stalls but all the tables were occupied. As we walked further in, we noticed that the stalls kind of 'repeat themselves, e.g. if you like asam laksa, there were a few of them, each at a certain distance from each other.

So many choices but what to eat? My SOP (Standard Operating Procedure)
1. Get a seat first.
2. Look around you, observe what others are having.
3. Look at the stalls, check which one has many customers.
4. Select local favourites.
5. If you have a weak stomach, order bottled/canned drinks.

I ordered O-Chien (oyster omelette) which was served on a styrofoam plate. Actually it was self-service style where I had to go to the respective stalls to order, wait for my turn, pay and deliver my own food! There were many people and the seller had no time to deliver the food. It was snatched up by those who stood nearby as soon as it was ready. The O-Chien actually tasted good and we had a second helping.

“Hawker Food at Gurney Drive Penang”, a copyrighted post, was written for Klang, Malaysia Daily Photo blog by Autumn Belle @ http://mymalaysiadailyphoto.blogspot.com/ on Jan 20th, 2011.

This asam laksa with rice noodles was garnished with mint leaves, sliced red onions, cut pineapples, cucumber and best of all were the finely chopped bunga kantan (raw ginger flower buds). Now, Penang laksa will never taste authentic without the bunga kantan. The mackerel fish broth was tasty and tantalising to the taste buds. It was sweet, sour and fiery hot! A spoonful of tasty shrimp paste (hae ko) provided the extra 'oomph'. All of us ordered the Penang laksa and we were already sweating and panting halfway into the dish but don't worry, this is just a normal body reaction to the heat of the bird's eye chili.

This Leng Chee Kang dessert drink has some colourful jelly and floating basil seeds. Oooh, a saviour to my 'injured' tongue.

My son just love this shell fish. Some people like to suck out the flesh but it is also easy to dig it out with a toothpick or dessert fork. Here we were provided with satay sticks to extract the flesh. The dipping sauce should be good in order to enjoy the dish but this one was quite average.

Grilled squids, okra and red onions in hot and spicy sauce. The squids were fresh, hence it tasted good.

Now for some fresh air by the seaside.

And some night views from the promenade.

Rob and Mandy of Barcelona Daily Photo is hosting the Food for Thoughts meme every Thursdays, do join them here.

For more Skywatch Friday Season 4 Episode 28 pictures and to participate, please visit the Skywatch site.

Sunset Stroll at Gurney Drive Penang

2011-01-14T04:59:00.002+08:00

Gurney Drive is a seafront promenade located in Georgetown, the capital of Penang state, Malaysia. This stretech is a very popular tourist destination famous for its variety of hawker food and shopping centres.

2. When the sun begins to set, this is when activity starts. Some come for a healthy jog or stroll while others walk their dogs here. Friends meet up for a chat and couples come here hand-in-hand to enjoy the romantic sunset views.

Gurney Drive was previously known as the New Coast Road. It was completed in 1936 along what was then known as the North Beach, and renamed in 1952 after Sir Henry Gurney, High Commissioner of Malaya from 1950-1951.

The lights in the distance is the Gurney Drive hawker centre. The beaches along Gurney Drive are rocky and no longer suitable for leisurely swims or beach games due constant coastal erosion over the years. In recent years, a land reclamation project at nearby Tanjung Tokong has reversed the erosion and resulted in a gradual build up of silt and mud off Gurney Drive.

Mangrove saplings have sprouted in the mud, which is now frequented by egrets and other birds as well as mudskippers. There are suggestions that this area be reclaimed for a recreational park or allowed to develop into a mangrove forest.

Source: Wikipedia

Would you like to see this area here to be developed into a mangrove forest and recreational park?

For more Skywatch Friday Season 4 Episode 27 pictures and to participate, please visit the Skywatch site.

This is my entry for Weekend Reflections #69. To participate or view what others have posted for Weekend Reflections, please visit here.

Paradise Sandy Beach Resort Penang - A Night Stay

2011-01-11T13:11:00.006+08:00

This is our leisurely drive along Tanjung Bungah as we were heading for Paradise Sandy Beach Resort. Usually, whenever we visited Penang, we'd like to stay at the more popular beach resorts along Batu Feringghi. IMO, I think the most beautiful beach is located along the Batu Feringghi stretch. This time we decided to try Tanjung Bungah which is nearer to Georgetown.

Tanjung Bungah is a former fishing village. A stretch of the beach was hit by a devastating tsunami on Boxing Day (Dec 26th) 2004. Currently, it is a good choice for budget travellers. There are 4 hotels here, all 3-star, namely Paradise Sandy Beach Resort, Flamingo, Copthorne Orchid and Tanjung Bungah Hotel.

Paradise Sandy Beach Resort is situated at 527, Jalan Tanjung Bungah, 11200 Tanjung Bungah, Penang, Malaysia. A very tall building with swaying palm trees. Not bad. We book this budget hotel via http://www.agoda.com/. We find that it is cheaper to book online than to call in directly to their hotel reservations department. We also checked on the travellers reviews and compared the rates before we made the decision to stay the first night at Paradise Sandy Beach Resort and the second night at Copthorne Orchid.

“Paradise Sandy Beach Resort Penang - A Night Stay”, a copyrighted post, was written for Klang, Malaysia Daily Photo blog by Autumn Belle @ http://mymalaysiadailyphoto.blogspot.com/ on January 11th, 2011.

We selected the Deluxe Paradise Suite rooms which were quite spacious and cosy. Each suite is about 70 sq metres and there are 2 separate balconies for us to enjoy the sea view. The bedroom is separated from the outer area which consisted of a lounge, dinning and kitchenette area. The bathroom is spacious and has a bath tub which is not bad considering that this is a 3 star hotel. For broadband internet access in the room, we need to pay an additional RM 10.00 for the cable.

This is the view of the sea from the bedroom balcony.

This is the view from the balcony at the lounge area. We should be able to see the sunrise from the balconies but it was rainy and cloudy weather during our visit. We could go to the beach or the swimming pool but we were too tired. We spent the late afternoon resting and relaxing.

Another view of the surrounding Tanjung Bungah residential area from the balcony.

The package included simple breakfast, the choices are the usual mix of continental, american and local breakfast fare.

Overall, the stay was okay and the food, accommodation and service was up to my expectation of a budget hotel.

This is my entry for That's My World Tuesday, Season 3 Episode 14. To view what others have in their world, please visit here.

This is also my entry for Watery Wednesday #122, the link is here.

Rob and Mandy of Barcelona Daily Photo is hosting the Food for Thoughts meme every Thursdays, do join them here.

A Drive Along Tanjung Bungah Penang

2011-01-07T05:25:00.002+08:00

Upon arrival to Penang Island, we first visited Kek Lok Si Temple at Air Itam. After lunch at the Kek Lok Si Vegetarian Restaurant, it was time to check in to our hotel, The Paradise Sandy Beach Resort in Tanjung Bungah (Cape of Flowers). Along the way we pass by this area. The skies are bright and sunny now.

I looks like there is a lot of development going on in Penang Island. There seem to be more skyscrappers here than in Klang city and they look brand new. Traffic was quite heavy but there were no massive jams. I have visited Penang Island during public holidays and weekends in the past, and the traffic jams were terrible. A trip meant for relaxation had become very stressful then.

It is great to travel offpeak, i.e. Dec 8-10. It was just before The Flower Festival and Dragon Boat Races would started on Dec 11th. Every year, there is also the Pesta Festival and Year End Celebrations which attract a lot of visitors to this island.

For more Skywatch Friday Season 4 Episode 26 pictures and to participate, please visit the Skywatch site.

Kek Lok Si Vegetarian Restaurant Penang

2011-01-06T07:33:00.002+08:00

Just as we were finished with our sightseeing at the hill top of Kek Lok Si Temple, it started to rain. So we headed back to the same place where we had parked our car at the hillside entrance in front of this souvenir shop.

As we were already very hungry and had no more strength to search for food in an unfamiliar place, we decided to try out the Vegetarian Restaurant at the lower ground level of Kek Lok Si Temple. Well, you won't miss this restaurant as signages are prominently display at the steps leading down to the lower ground below. People who need to use the washroom will also pass by this restaurant.

Looking at the menu, the prices seemed quite reasonable, so we went in to have our lunch. Besides, it is good to go vegetarian once in a while. It is stated that rice and tea is Free, i.e. included in the package. There was also no service charge.

How often do you take a vegetarian meal?

“Kek Lok Si Vegetarian Restaurant Penang”, a copyrighted post, was written for Klang, Malaysia Daily Photo blog by Autumn Belle @ http://mymalaysiadailyphoto.blogspot.com/ on January 6th, 2011.

We selected the selected the 3 dishes and 1 soup for RM 35.00. We were really hungry then, so we had already walloped the first serving of vegetables when I took out my camera to capture this picture. The dishes were simple but it tasted good.

The Maneki Neko cat is purchased from the sovenir shop at the Incline Lift Station, not a free gift from this restaurant.

Further down from the Vegetarian Restaurant, there is a Liberation Pond aka Sacred Turtle Pond. Turtles are symbols of longevity, protection and wisdom. Some cultures, e.g. Chinese, Buddhist, Taoists, believe that releasing captured turtles and tortoises is a good deed or good karma. Here, at the Liberation Pond, you can also do a good deed by buying some water spinach (kangkong) and feeding it to the turtles here.

This is my entry for That's My World Tuesday. To view what others have in their world, please visit here.

Wow, Today is 1-1-11, Happy New Year 2011!

2011-01-01T00:03:00.004+08:00

We will open the book. Its pages are blank.

We are going to put words on them ourselves.

The book is called "Opportunity" and its first chapter is New Year's Day.

- Edith Lovejoy Pierce

The picture above was taken at Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. The structure is reflected on the water surface below. Can you identify where is the cut-off line?

This is my entry for Weekend Reflections #67. To participate or view what others have posted for Weekend Reflections, please visit here.

View From The Hill Top of Kek Lok Si Temple

2010-12-31T06:51:00.006+08:00

The view of Penang Island skyline from the hill top of Kek Lok Si Temple near the Kuan Yin Goddess of Mercy Pavilion. I am standing here with the Bronze Statue of Kuan Yin behind me.

WISHING YOU HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011 !

Happy New Year Wish

My Happy New Year wish for you
Is for your best year yet,
A year where life is peaceful,
And what you want, you get.

A year in which you cherish
The past year’s memories,
And live your life each new day,
Full of bright expectancies.

I wish for you a holiday
With happiness galore;
And when it’s done, I wish you
Happy New Year, and many more.

By Joanna Fuchs

For more Skywatch Friday Season 4 Episode 25 pictures and to participate, please visit the Skywatch site.

Bronze Statue of Kuan Yin - Kek Lok Si Temple Penang Part 2 of 3

2010-12-30T07:30:00.005+08:00

Further up the hill, there are more souvenir shops selling many items related to the Chinese culture. They are very beautiful and I spend some time here. I was captivated by this colourful lotus lamp and the lighted glowing Buddha.

Cute rabbits carrying lucky wealth coins are believed to be auspicious for the coming lunar new Year of the Rabbit which commences on February 3rd, 2011.

The prices are fixed and quite reasonable considering that this is a tourist attraction place.
A signage nearby states that proceeds from the sale of the items in the shop goes towards the maintenance of the temple.

To go to the hill top to view the bronze statue of Kuan Yin, the gardens and shrines there, we can take the Incline Life or take a walk up.

“Bronze Statue of Kuan Yin - Kek Lok Si Temple Part 2 of 3”, a copyrighted post, was written for Klang, Malaysia Daily Photo blog by Autumn Belle @ http://mymalaysiadailyphoto.blogspot.com on December 30th, 2010.

We decided to take the Incline Lift which was air-conditioned. The charges are RM 2.00 per trip per person. It is like sitting inside a cable car where we get to see an arial view of the surrounding skyline and forests down below.

This is the Goddess of Mercy Pavilion which is a shelter for the 33.67m Bronze Statue of Avalokitesvara (Kuan Yin). Awesome, isn't it?

The statue was consecrated on December 6th, 2009 which coincided with the 118th anniversary of the founding of Kek Lok Si Temple.

The statue was so huge, my small camera almost couldn't take in the full view.

There is a prayer hall nearby and this looks like a wishing tree.

It looks like Kuan Yin is smiling on us from the rooftop of the Incline Lift Station.

My first post on this temple is here:
Pagoda of Ten Thousand Buddhas - Kek Lok Si Temple Penang Part 1 of 3

The first picture is my entry for Thursday Challenge, the Photo Theme this week is LIGHTS (Holiday Lights, Candles, Street Lights, Fireplace, Fireworks,...) To view what others have for today, click here.

A Long Time Ago at Kek Lok Si Temple

2010-12-29T06:50:00.001+08:00

The above picture captures a moment in time, long ago at the Kek Lok Si Temple, Penang with my many 'brothers and sisters' as we call ourselves. I was a member of the Buddhist Socitey in my college then. During the holidays, we went on a site-seeing tour to Penang Island. We stayed at the Wisma Buddhist and our tour guides were those members who were locals in Penang. I think that people who are locals of the place will be the best tour guides because they know their city so well, especially when it comes to good food and culture.

Today is ABC Wednesday

X is for .....

My X-files!

When the TV series 'The X-Files' was shown on TV, I was really into science fiction then. I enjoyed the show very much and never missed a single episode. Since then, I have also created my own X-Files. It is actually something more happy and less intriguing. Whenever I come accross something old that I have no time to classify yet, I will store the item in a folder labelled, 'X-Files' to remind me to update it later.

The above picture was from my 'X-Files'.

ABC Wednesday, Round 7 hosted by Mrs. Denise Nesbitt and the ABC Team of Denise, Roger, Jay, Troy, Barb, Gattina, Sylvia, Annelie, Linda and Helen. To participate and view what others have in mind, please log on to this site.

Pagoda of Ten Thousand Buddhas - Kek Lok Si Temple Penang Part 1 of 3

2010-12-28T10:55:00.014+08:00

Picture 1

The Kek Lok Si Temple in Air Itam was our first stopover when we reached Penang Island. It is the one place that I always want to see whenever I am here. All my family members have visited this place before and I have been there a few times but at different stages of my life. Each visit is new experience for me. Some of the views have changed through the years, e.g. when I was there as a little kid, a student, a young working adult and now as a parent to my kids, but the magnificence of the structures, the awesome wonder of the whole place and the calmness I feel whenever I am in the pressence of the ever-compassionate Goddess of Mercy..... all these have never changed.

Kek Lok Si means "The Temple of Supreme Bliss". This temple is located on a hill. It is the largest Buddhist temple complex in Southeast Asia.

In the picture is the Pagoda of Ten Thousand Buddhas. The history of Kek Lok Si started in 1890 when construction of the temple began. It was completed in 1930. This 7-tiered pagoda which took more than 20 years to build has a Chinese octagonal base, a Thai middle tier and a Burmese crown. It is here that I feel that no matter which Buddhism school we belong to, e.g. Theraveda or Mahayana or what religion, we are welcome to visit and /or pray to the gods. We don't have to go on a vegetarian diet before we enter the prayer halls.

Picture 2

This prosperity pig is too sexy for me to miss as I passed by the souvenir shop at the hillside entrane of the Kek Lok Si complex.

Now we do not have to park our cars at the streets below and walk all the way up Kek Lok Si. We can drive up to the hill entrance where there are some parking lots. At this mid-level, there is a souvenir shop and a pathway that leads up to the main temple. There is also a Vegetarian Restaurant, a Liberation Pond and more souvenir shops at the lower level.

Picture 3

The corridors leading to the temple proper. There are still some beggars hanging around here but they did not hassle us.

Picture 4

The beautiful courtyard beside the walkway where visitors can take some nice pictures.

Picture 5

This is the prayer hall. We made a donation towards the upkeep of this temple. For a small sum, they write our names on a piece of tile and my 2 kids were given a box of 500pcs puzzle each.

Picture 6

There are so many Kuan Yin statues on this wall.

Picture 7

These are some of the porcelain statues of the gods that we can buy for our altar at home.

“Pagoda of Ten Thousand Buddhas - Kek Lok Si Temple Penang Part 1 of 3”, a copyrighted post, was written for Klang, Malaysia Daily Photo blog by Autumn Belle @ http://mymalaysiadailyphoto.blogspot.com/ on December 28th, 2010.

Picture 8

We passed by this statue of Buddha as we were walking up to the mid section of the temple grounds. I notice there are wheels symbols around the fence. I have read that wheels are sacred symbols of Buddhism, e.g. the Wheel of Life, Wheel of Truth, Wheel of the Cosmos, all symbolizing the noble and wisdom truths of Buddha's teachings.

Picture 9

Another view of the Pagoda of Ten Thousand Buddhas against the cloudy but blue skies.

Picture 10

Inside this temple, there is a Buddha statue, and the Four Heavenly Kings. Two pairs of colourful Fu-Dogs guard the temple grounds.

Picture 11

The row of Buddha statues that seem to extend to infinity and to the heavens above.

Picture 12

This is the Pavilion of Seated Buddhas. I still remember this place where we had our group photo taken when I visited Kek Lok Si as a student.

Picture 13

At Kek Lok Si Temple, we can enjoy some scenic rooftop views of Penang island.

Additional information:

On normal days, the temple opening hours are from 8.30am to 5.30pm.

Night-time visits are only allowed during the first 28 days of the Chinese lunar calendar. During the Lunar New Year season, there will be an annual lighting ceremony where the temple will be lit up by thousands of decorative bulbs and lanterns, turning it into a fairy land.

This year the 119-year-old temple entered the Malaysia Book of Records for the tallest pavilion at 89.23m, the tallest bronze Goddess of Mercy (Kuan Yin) statue at 33.67m, and the tallest granite pillars at 42.24m.

For three nights from Chinese New Year’s eve on Jan 13, the entire temple was lit up from 7pm to 7am and on the third day of Chinese New Year to Chap Goh Meh on Feb 28, the lights were switched on from 7pm to midnight.

This is my entry for That's My World Tuesday. To view what others have in their world, please visit here.

San Francisco in the Pearl of the Orient

2010-12-27T07:33:00.002+08:00

This 13.5 km Penang Bridge is the only mode of transportation by land between the mainland of Peninsular Malaysia and Penang Island. It starts from the Perai Interchange and links us to Georgetown. The bridge was officially opened to the public on 14 September 1985.

During those days when the bridge was still new, we were eager to have a 'first-time' experience travelling on the bridge and to take our photographs there. I am sure many locals will have at least one or two stories to share about the bridge. My most memorable experience was crossing this bridge at midnight. The night view was fantastic.

Part of the bridge consists of “cable-stayed concrete girders”. A cable stayed girder is a concrete column, normally referred to as towers or pylons supporting the deck. This is similar to the ones used for the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge. Hey, that's how locals like me get to experience ' just a a lil bit' of San Francisco when we visit the Pearl of the Orient (Penang Island).

Currently, we pay a toll of RM 7.00 upon entry only and there is no charge when leaving the island.

The bridge has an area for emergency stops and traffic CCTV. It has a Tenaga Nasional Berhad's 132kV power cable.

As there is always heavy traffic on this bridge, hence a Second Penang Bridge is now under construction. It is scheduled for completion by 2013.

Source: Wikipedia, here.

This is my entry for Weekend in Black and White, the link is here. My grateful thanks to Dragonstar.

Travelling Along The Penang Bridge

2010-12-26T21:03:00.001+08:00

1. Prai Industrial Area

2. Beyond the vast expense of the ocean is the faraway horizon, the line where the earth meets the sky.

3. Travelling along the bridge, I could feel the vibrations below my feet.
The high-rise buildings and concrete jungle of Penang Island are just visible from here.

4. We are nearing the most beautiful part of the 13.5 km long Penang Bridge.

5. Nice apartments along the coastline with views of the sea in front and blue mountains at the back.

6. At this point, we could enjoy the views of the vast ocean, the blue skies, the ships and vessels. The island is beautiful. The wind was strong and it was also very noisy as vehicles zoomed passed us. It was a strange but a bit scary feeling standing there with the big sea just below my feet. It was as though I was floating in the air just above the blue sea. This is not my first time on the bridge. I remember those days before the bridge was completed, we had to use the ferry to go to Penang Island. My late father would always toss a coin into the ocean when the ferry started. He told me that it was for a safe journey.

When was the last time you sat on a ferry?

This is my entry for the fun and wonderful weekly meme, Scenic Sunday #127. To participate or view other pictures around the world, click on the icon above.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T17:05:00.001+08:00

"Peace on earth will come to stay,

when we live Christmas every day."

..... Helen Steiner Rice

May you and your family have a wonderful time on this Christmas Day!

A Magical Christmas 2010 at i-City Shah Alam

2010-12-24T07:30:00.004+08:00

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world,

and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.

..... Norman Vincent Peale

Tonight is Christmas Eve, so I think that this night sky will be an appropriate choice. On this special day, I hope you have your family with you to welcome Christmas Day.

"The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree:

the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other".

..... Burton Hillis

MERRY CHRISTMAS !

For more Skywatch Friday Season 4 Episode 24 pictures and to participate, please visit the Skywatch site.

A Funtoystic Christmas 2010 at Mid Valley Megamall KL

2010-12-23T07:23:00.002+08:00

“In every real man a child is hidden that wants to play.”

..... Friedrich Nietzsche

(German classical Scholar, Philosopher and Critic of culture, 1844-1900.)

When I was a kid, I'd like to believe that toys do come alive at night while everyone is fast asleep. How I wished that I could see them move and talk and enter into world of the Tin Soldier, Ballerina, Golliwog, the Ginger Bread Man, etc and play with them.

What is/was your favourite toy?

This is my entry for Thursday Challenge, the Photo Theme this week is TOYS (Dolls, Games, Stuffed Animals, Athletic Equipment, Construction Toys, Art Supplies,...). To view what others have for today, click here.

Winter Solstice 2010

2010-12-22T09:55:00.005+08:00

On this day today I will celebrate the Winter Solstice Festival or Dōng Zhì (冬至). The first Chinese character, Dōng (冬) means 'winter while the second character Zhì (至) means 'festival' .

Today is ABC Wednesday

W is for .....

Winter Solstice!

According to Chinese culture and custom, I shall offer prayers to the gods and thank them for the protection given and blessings bestowed upon our family throughout the whole year.

During this day of Dōng Zhì Festival, families members get together and eat tāng yuán (湯圓) signifying 'togetherness'. Tang yuan is a sweet soup made of glutinous rice balls. Even though it is not a public holiday here, those who are working will also make it a point to come home to have dinner together. This is symbolic of family unity and harmony. I am sure many of us will remember our grandparents who used to tell us that today everyone becomes one year older. This is a time we look forward to the next major spring Festival, i.e. the Lunar New Year. After today we shall be busy spring cleaning our homes and making preparations for the Lunar New Year.

Elsewhere around the world and according to the Western calendar, the Winter Solstice exact time falls on 23:38pm Universal Time on December 21st, 2010. In Malaysia it is December 22nd, 7:30am (this morning). This year is special in the sense that it comes with a total lunar eclipse at the same time and it is also a full moon day. It also coincides with the Ursids Meteo shower which occurs from Dec 16th - 26th. The winter solstice lunar eclipse is a rare event, a first time in 372 years. As for me I will not be witnessing this phenomenon.

The Magic of Kissing Under the Mistletoe

2010-12-21T09:09:00.004+08:00

The Plant
Botanically speaking, the mistletoe is a partial parasitic plant that grows on the branches or trunk of a tree. Its roots penetrate into the tree to absorb its nutrients. Although the mistletoe can produce its own food by photosynthesis and hence is capable of surviving on its own, it usually grows as a parasite.

A Christmas Decoration
Mistletoes are used as a traditional Christmas Decoration.

Mystic and Magic of the Mistletoe
According to ancient European folklore and tradition, the mistletoe was considered to bestow life and fertility, a protection against poison, used to ward off evil spirits and also as an aphrodisiac.

Kissing Under the Mistletoe

"According to Christmas custom, any two people who meet under a hanging of mistletoe are obliged to kiss." Source: Wikipedia here. Oh my!!!

In my world, I get to see mistletoes as a Christmas decoration during the festive season. I have also seen movies and heard stories about the magic of kissing under the mistletoe. The following questions will always come to my mind:

Do people still believe in the magic of kissing under the mistletoe?
Is it a hope that the couple who kissed under the mistletoe will eventually marry and live happily ever after?
Is it just a fun game in Christmas and New Year parties where the guys get to kiss the gals?

Below is a video on how to make a mistletoe.

This is my entry for That's My World Tuesday. To view what others have in their world, please visit here.

Christmas Tree and Snowflakes in a Glass Lamp

2010-12-20T07:18:00.005+08:00

Would you like to buy or receive this item as a Christmas gift?

This is my entry for Weekend in Black and White, the link is here. My grateful thanks to Dragonstar.

Penang Here We come!

2010-12-19T10:10:00.006+08:00

It was 'blue skies and everything nice' when we started our journey from Ipoh to Penang.

The journey of 159km will take us about 2 hrs.

We are travelling along the 800m long Menora Tunnel near Jelapang. It was the longest highway tunnel in Malaysia when it was completed.

While hubby was busy driving on the road, we got to enjoy the scenic views along the expressway. When he got tired and stiff, our DDS (darling daughter and son) provided some relief with their shoulder and neck massages. But actually, most of the time, they were fast asleep!

We are crossing the Perak River along the 300m long Sultan Azlan Shah Bridge. This is the longest bridge on the PLUS highway.

“Penang Here We Come!”, a copyrighted post, was written for Klang, Malaysia Daily Photo blog by Autumn Belle @ http://mymalaysiadailyphoto.blogspot.com on December 19th, 2010.

Crossing the Perak River.

Our very own Hutan Hujan Khatulistiwa or Tropical Equatorial Rainforest. Here we are 5 km from Kuala Kangsar town, the royal town of Perak state.

All photos are taken from a moving car by the co-pilot who helped in the navigation.

This is my entry for the fun and wonderful weekly meme, Scenic Sunday #127. To participate or view other pictures around the world, click on the icon above.

Foh San Dim Sum Ipoh - Day 2

2010-12-18T07:13:00.016+08:00

Early morning the next day, we were already out in the streets. Our next destination was Penang and we were eager to start our journey. However, there is something that needs to be done first. We need to fill up our empty stomachs, so off we went for some famous Ipoh dim sum.

The weather looks fine with bright blue skies. Those wispy cirrus clouds above remind me of fish scales.

Actually, there are a few more dim sum restaurants along this road. Our family calls it the 'Dim Sum Street'. The other dim sum restaurants along this street are Ming Court Hong Kong Dim Sum, Chee Fatt Hong Kong Dim Sum, Chang Keong Dim Sum and Yoke Fook Moon. All are worth a try and in fact, Ming Court is a close contender for Foh San. My late father love to go to Ming Court.

The Hua Nam coffee shop which serves coffee, eggs on toast, char koay teow, chee cheong fun and other hawker fare is also located at Jalan Leong Sin Nam.

Foh San is operating at its new premises at no. 51, Jalan Leong Sin Nam now. The building is quite awesome and majestic looking. There were already many people when we reached there at around 8 am and the ground floor tables were already fully occupied. The second floor was still okay. In fact the view was better. I like the ambience and the clean and cool surroundings. We sat near a waterfall where we could enjoy the scenic outdoor views while having our 'yum cha'.

'Yum Cha' (drinking tea) or 'Yum Cho Cha' (drinking early morning tea) are Cantonese words commonly used in Hong Kong where people drink Chinese tea while enjoying dim sum for breakfast. We can select the type of tea we want, e.g. chrysanthemum, ti kuan yin, du shu xiang, jasmine, oolong, pu erh or cha wang (teh raja or King's tea). I think their cha wang tea tastes better than the one I had at Bao Xiang Bah Kut Teh in Klang but it is a bit pricey at RM 4.00 per head.

Waiters will come is pushcarts and trolleys that are laden with piping hot dim sum and we get to select those that we like. On the table is lo mai kai (glutinuous rice), egg tarts, har gow (shrimp dumplings), steamed fish balls and siu mai (pork dumplings).

This is surely instant fast food!

Hubby's favourite is the 'tai ji gow' (scallop dumpling) but it was not available. This substitude tastes just as heavenly. This steamed 'wrap' with mushrooms and minced meat is topped with toasted sesame seeds, a little bit of spring onions and light soya sauce. If the soya sauce is not good, it will spoil the whole dish.

My son like this 'Beijing gow ji' but I don't like the sweet chili sauce topping that they have automatically added. I prefer it plain.

“Foh San Dim Sum Ipoh - Day 2”, a copyrighted post, was written for Klang, Malaysia Daily Photo blog by Autumn Belle @ http://mymalaysiadailyphoto.blogspot.com/ on December 18th, 2010.

I like this lo mai kai which is actually steamed glutinuous rice with chicken, mushrooms, Chinese sausages and dried shrimps. It is not too oily.

This is stir fried turnip cake (蘿蔔糕) or 'lo bak go' with Ipoh bean sprouts. Turnip cake is sometimes also called Chinese radish cake or daikon cake.

This dessert of water chestnut cake is my daughter's favourite dessert.

Steamed custard, another of my daughter's favourite but too heavy for me.

The dim sum we had costs about RM 3.50 to RM 5.50 per container. Pau, fish balls and egg tarts are charged at RM 1.60 per piece. Our total bill came to about RM 60.00

If still not enough, here's another option - dim sum takeaway.

Gone are the old days where we had to reach there as early as possible, i.e. from 6:30 am to 8:00 am, otherwise there would be no tables left. I still remember when we had to stand and wait next to people enjoying their breakfast. Even when we could find a table, food was late to arrive and some of us had to search for the dim sum trolleys and grab our own selection. The place was so crowded and noisy that sometimes, things got out of hand and there would be arguements and black faces. What a stressful way it was to start the day.

I like Foh San's new image and surroundings. The food tastes better and it is less oily. By the time we left this place, we were so full we could hardly walk straight!

This is my entry for Weekend Reflections #65. To participate or view what others have posted for Weekend Reflections, please visit here.

Rob and Mandy of Barcelona Daily Photo is hosting the Food for Thoughts meme every Thursdays, do join them here.

My Phone Service is Out!

2010-12-17T11:55:00.008+08:00

Toys at Mid Valley Christmas 2010

Sometime after lunch on Thursday, December 16th, my phone lines went dead. Suddenly, I was cut off from the WWW without any prior notification or warning. I can't use my telephone, wireless broadband and direct dial-up services. This is due to TMnet upgrading their services in stages.

It was still down today until late at night. Hopefully, they have finished their upgrading exercise. The funny thing is that this happens every few months since the first day I had my broadband.

I am so thankful I can use my phone line again.

Hawker Food at Menglembu Glutton Street - Ipoh Stopover Day 1

2010-12-16T07:23:00.019+08:00

For a light dinner, we'd like to go off the beaten track and drove to Menglembu 'Wai Sek Kai' or Glutton Street which is located along the main road of old Menglembu town. There is a row of hawker stalls here that opens for business at night. Some examples are the curry mee, noodle soup with yong tow foo, char koay teow, hor hee and the famous Wonderful Honey Chicken.

I came here for 3 of my favourite dishes which are chee cheong fun, pork offals porridge and wantan mee. The wantan noodle is served in very small portions but we like it this way. It is normal to go double, tripple or quadruple though! We like their springy egg noodles and tasty wantan. I'm sorry there's no picture of the wantan mee because we had already walloped everything before I took out my camera!

The above is curry chee cheong fun. The curry tastes just like the traditional Chinese homecooked style with fried pork skin, cockles, long beans and a hint of lemongrass flavour. Fried shallots are added as garnishing. Home fried shallots have a nice aroma and slightly sweet savoury taste. The pickled green chilis and lots of toasted sesame seeds is a must for me. It is the onion infused oil that make the chee cheong fun dish really stands out.

This is pig offals porridge (chee chap chok). The ingrediends are minced meat, deep fried intestines, blanched liver and pancreas. The porridge is smooth with just the right thickness. I think it tastes great when garnished with some spring onions, sesame oil and a dash of white pepper.

“Hawker Food at Menglembu Gutton Street - Ipoh Stopover Day 1”, a copyrighted post, was written for Klang, Malaysia Daily Photo blog by Autumn Belle @ http://mymalaysiadailyphoto.blogspot.com on December 16th, 2010.

I can sit inside a proper restaurant and order my drinks there. The wonderful part is that I am not obliged to order food from the stalls inside this restaurant. I can order them from any hawker stall outside and they are allowed to bring it in, even from those accross the road. For drinks, we can choose soft drinks or desserts like ice kacang, jelly ice, homemade herbal drinks, barley or tong sui. The picture above is ice kacang.

Menglembu, is a big township in Ipoh city that is located at the foot of the Kledang Hills. It is about 15 min drive from Ipoh city centre. This is where the famous Menglembu groundnuts got its name and The Pagoda Brand Groundnuts has its origins here. There are still quite a number of prewar shop houses here.

The Menglembu market nearby is also popular among locals for breakfast and lunch. The char koay teow there is quite well known. I wonder if anyone still remember their famous bak chang (chinese dumplings) and tong sui.

There are many new food outlets attracting the crowd at Menglembu New Town, but in my humble opinion, I still like to come back here once in a while to savour these traditional stalls. This is where I get to sample family recipes that had been perfected and handed down from generations. My parents brought me here and now it is my turn to tell my kids. I still remember how my grandpa yearned for a hot bowl of black sesame porridge from a certain stall at the Menglembu market at his dying bed. I also remember the laughter, jokes and wise words my parents and grandparents used to say and the table manners they taught me when we sat down and ate together as as a family. These are instances where fond memories and cherished moments build around food or 'makan-makan' as we locals call it are made to last a lifetime.

This is the end of Day 1 in my Ipoh-Penang trip. Practically a makan-makan first day!

How to go to Menglembu Wai Sek Kai?
When you are coming from Ipoh, just follow the road signages to Menglembu or take Jalan Lahat. When you reach a roundabout with 2 peanuts as a monument (you have reached Menglembu now!), take the 1 o'clock turn. On the first junction on your right, you should see Public Restaurant. Travel on to the third or fourth junction, then turn right. You should be able to find the Wai Sek Kai where the hawker stalls are opened from around 6pm onwards.

This is my entry for Thursday Challenge, the Photo Theme this week is FOOD (Farmers Market, Vegetables, Meat, Cooking, Restaurant,...). To view what others have for today, click here.

Ye Olde Christmas 2010 at 1 Utama Shopping Centre

2010-12-15T09:23:00.003+08:00

This is the magical scene at the 1-Utama Shopping Centre's Christmas Town. The centre stage which is a skating ring is surrounded by Old England styled town houses, just like a scene from Charles Dickens, "A Christmas Carol". Smoking chimneys, snow covered roof tops, cobbled walkways and lighted streetlamps are the features here. The Jolly Band and Bagpippers will be marching around the mall playing festive tunes while fashion shows, caroling, orchestra music and Christmas theme performances are scheduled at certain times.

Today is ABC Wednesday!

V is for.....

The VERY exciting VARIETY of VIVID, VISUAL VIEWS
that will put you in Chrismas mood.

V is for Vacation.
V is also for the sounds of melodious Vienna music that I imagine I can hear.

V is for the Vermillion colour of these real potted poinsettias beside the traditional wine barrels.

V is for this Vintage Vehicle that is glistening with Varnish.

V is also for the Vanilla and Variety in the cookies in the festive hampers.

V is for the Vials of perfume, Vintage wine, Volka, Valuables, Violet blooms, Videos and Vacuum cleaners that you are going to buy as gifts for the VIPs in your life.

V is also for the happy Voices that you will hear for a festive Christmas cheer.

All Inn Cafe - Ipoh Stopover Day 1

2010-12-14T06:33:00.004+08:00

After having my lunch at Kong Heng Coffee Shop, it was time for some tong sui and dessert. Kafe All Inn is located opposite Kong Heng. It is the corner shop from accross the road.

Eventhough I was already full after my lunch at Kong Heng, I guess my stomach still has room for this delicious looking kuih. The red-green-yellow kuih is actually sago with dessicated coconut while the layered one in the background is black sesame kuih with coconut milk. I like kuih with pandan and coconut flavour.

“All Inn Cafe - Ipoh Stopover Day 1”, a copyrighted post, was written for Klang, Malaysia Daily Photo blog by Autumn Belle @ http://mymalaysiadailyphoto.blogspot.com/ on December 14th, 2010.

Leng Chee Kang tong sui with lotus seeds, barley, gingko nuts, snow fungus, dried longan flesh, dates and a quail egg. Some like it hot but I love it with ice cubes.

This is Sai Mai Lo with water melon, yellow jelly, sago and tapioca pearls swimming in evaporated milk and coconut milk. Of course the base is pandan flavoured sugar water. A very cool and refreshing drink when some ice cubes are added.

Ipoh is famous for tong sui. We like to take tong sui because we believe that it is good for the complexion. Where else in Malaysia can we get good tong sui? Do let me know.

Besides Kafe All Inn, tong sui is also available at a few other places such as:

a) "Tong Sui Kai" at Church Street, Off Jalan Sultan Idris and in front of Sam Tet School.
b) Macy Restaurant beside the overhead highway bridge in Ipoh Garden East
c) Sin Hong Kee at Cowan Street (previously from Tong Sui Kai).

Therefore when you come to Ipoh, don't miss out on the tong sui!

This is my entry for That's My World Tuesday. To view what others have in their world, please visit here.

A Mini Crystal Lamp for Christmas

2010-12-13T05:19:00.003+08:00

I spotted this mini crystal lamp at a gift shop. Some of the ceiling lights are being reflected on the glass top.

Do you think it is a meaningful gift for Christmas?

This is my entry for Weekend in Black and White, the link is here. My grateful thanks to Dragonstar.

Kong Heng Coffee Shop - Ipoh Stopover Day 1

2010-12-12T15:38:00.004+08:00

Early this week I went on an inland motor tour, which is a family trip up north to Penang island. As I was on the front passenger seat, I get to enjoy the greenery and scenic views of palm oil plantations, limestone hills, blue mountains and tropical rainforest jungles along the PLUS highway. PLUS stands for Project Leburaya Utara Selatan or North-South Expressway. I am so glad to be far away from the concrete jungles of the city for a short while.

We were already thinking about food when we reached Ipoh town. We planned to stay the first night in Ipoh. The journey from Klang to Ipoh took us 2.5 hours for a distance of 214 km.

Whenever I come back to Ipoh for hawker food, the first place I want to go to is the Kong Heng Coffee Shop (光兴茶室). It is located at no. 73, Jalan Bandar Timah, Old Town, Ipoh, Perak.

I have come here many times, since I was a kid. I heard that this coffee shop has been around since the 60s. The first generation hawkers were very fast, efficient and enthusiastic. Just as you are sitting down, many of them would come at once to your table and persuade you to order their food. It might get overwhelming sometimes. They would shout out our orders of food and drinks. They were friendly and knew their regular customers by name, sometimes joining them at their tables and chit-chatting with the patrons while they were busily enjoying the delicious food. Delivery was very very fast too. While some stalls are into the second generation proprietors now, service is still good and friendly and much of the charm remains. Nowadays, the hawkers are quite used to people taking photos and they don't mind. They are very spotting and would stop in their tracks to let you finish your photo taking session before they proceed to clear the table.

Kong Heng is popular among locals and outstation visitors who used to live near Ipoh. The place is very crowded during lunch time on a working day. It is difficult to find a parking space nearby and we usually park at a private car park a short distance away. During peak hours, we may have to stand and wait for vacant tables.

This restaurant is opened for breakfast at about 8 am in the morning and will close after lunch from around 3 pm.

We started our journey late and by the time we reached here it was almost 3pm. My favourite pork satay, Ipoh Hor Fun and Chee Cheong Fun from the Thean Chun coffee shop next door were finished! Thean Chun and Kong Heng operate like twins. We can sit at one restaurant and order food from the other, so you can imagine the variety of choices that we have here.

Luckily, some stalls are still opened. This 'kai see hor fun' (鸡丝河粉) or koay teow noodle soup with shreded chicken meat is not as famous as Thean Chun's but it is also very tasty. The soup tastes delicious with just the right amount of prawns, chicken meat and bean sprouts. Some chives and fried shallots are added as garnishing which further enhances the taste. The same seller also sells Ipoh chicken rice and beansprouts (Ngah Choy Kai).

Why is Ipoh Hor Fun (沙河粉) so special? This is because Ipoh is famous for its karst limestone mountain mineral water which is good for growing vegetables like bean sprouts and processing of noodles like koay teow. The koay teow here is thin and smooth and it kind of glides down your throat. Many ingredients are used to make the broth, e.g. chicken and pork bones, pork ribs, prawn shells, turnip, dried shrimps and of course salt, sugar and pepper. These are boiled for about 2-3 hours. The orange coloured oil floating on top of the bowl of hor fun is actually made by frying peeled prawn shells in oil until the flavour oozes out. The shreded chicken meat and prawns are made by blanching, not by boiling in water over a long period, hence their taste is retained. I like to have cut bird's eye chilli in light soya sauce to go with my Ipoh Hor Fun

In Ipoh, shar hor fun (沙河粉) is used to make soup while 'chow hor fun', which is hor fun with a thicker texture is used to cook Char Koay Teow. In many food centres in Klang Valley now, hawkers use only one type of hor fun i.e. chow hor fun which is coarse and only good for 'chows' or stir frys, hence it doesn't taste good in soups.

“Kong Heng Coffee Shop - Ipoh Stopover Day 1”, a copyrighted post, was written for Klang, Malaysia Daily Photo blog by Autumn Belle @ http://mymalaysiadailyphoto.blogspot.com/ on December 12th, 2010.

This is Rojak Buah or fruit salad with my favourite dipping sauce. Some of the ingredients used in making the sauce are toasted belacan (shrimp paste), thinly sliced fresh bird's eye chili, roasted peanuts (pounded) and sesame seeds. Their rojak sauce is really special and out of this world. Usually, the fruits are young mangoes, cucumber, sengkuang* and pineapples. There is also a piece of crispy craker. Those days, I used to order extra rojak for take away and eat to my heart's content.

* Sengkuang (Pachyrhizus erosus) is also known as sweet turnip. The English call it yam bean.

Note: you can click on the links provided for further info. from Wikipedia.

This popiah (Chinese spring rolls) goes well with their peanut chilli sauce. I prefer this white solf skin type to the fried popiah. Nowadays, they are reluctant to sell popiah in singles, so we have to order at least two rolls. This popiah stall also sells asam laksa but it was already sold out then.

Whenever I leave this coffee shop, I always wonder how many more times I can enjoy the special, delicioius food and busy, noisy but happy environment here. It is not only about the good food but it also brings back a lot of fond memories of our childhood with parents, friends and loved ones. It is like we grew up eating the food here! There is a special nostalgia many ex-Ipohlites feel and enjoy whenever we come 'home'. Ipoh is the capital of Perak, once the richest state in Malaysia. Ipoh's glory days may be over but its 'old world' charm remains because of places like this. I wonder if it will be taken over soon by some rich businessmen and converted into another tall, modern skyscrapper. By then, we would only have our archives of old photos to content with.

Do you think it is a good idea to preserve herritage buildings like this one as a legacy for our future generations?

This is my entry for the fun and wonderful weekly meme, Scenic Sunday #126. To participate or view other pictures around the world, click on the icon above.

Entrance to Pavilion KL

2010-12-11T11:51:00.004+08:00

How many reflections can you see here?

This is my entry for Weekend Reflections #64. To participate or view what others have posted for Weekend Reflections, please visit here.

Morning Skies at Tronoh Town

2010-12-10T23:01:00.010+08:00

“Just as treasures are uncovered from the earth,

so virtue appears from good deeds,

and wisdom appears from a pure and peaceful mind.

To walk safely through the maze of human life,

one needs the light of wisdom and the guidance of virtue.”

..... Gautama Buddha

For more Skywatch Friday Season 4 Episode 22 pictures and to participate, please visit the Skywatch site.

Pavilion KL's Christmas Enchantments 2010 - Behind the Magical Curtains

2010-12-09T00:03:00.004+08:00

Visitors walking down the Spanish Steps at the main entrance of Pavilion KL will be greeted by this magical scene below the huge velvety curtains.

The event managers must have put in a lot of efforts here to construct such a magical stage with those theatrical curtains, red carpet and dazzling display of tinsel and Christmas decorations.

Are you impressed?

This is my entry for Thursday Challenge, the Photo Theme this week is CONSTRUCTION (Houses, Streets, Commercial, Equipment, Vehicles,...). To view what others have for today, click here.

Pavilion KL's Christmas Enchantments

2010-12-08T00:03:00.002+08:00

Are you enchanted?

For today's ABC Wednesday's ..... U,

Do you think this is Usual or Unusual,

Unique,

Utterly amazing?

Malaysia Year End Sale

2010-12-07T00:03:00.001+08:00

MYES is one of the many events planned by the Tourism Malaysia to attract more tourists to Malaysia.

Do you think the sale is really cheap and does it attract you to go shopping in Kuala Lumpur?

This is my entry for That's My World Tuesday Season 3 Episode 9. MyWorld is the place where we become virtual tourists guides and show others the best of our world! To view what others have in their world, please visit here.

White Poinsettias

2010-12-06T06:13:00.000+08:00

The white poinsettias here are used to decorate Christmas trees with winter snow themes. They look nice with silver edging and glittery centre. I have never seen any other colours except red when it comes to live plants here in Malaysia.

Have you seen real poinsettias plants in other colours?

This is my entry for Weekend in Black and White, the link is here. My grateful thanks to Dragonstar.

Pavilion Crystal Fountain

2010-12-05T06:11:00.000+08:00

During this season of Christmas, the Pavilion Crystal Fountain is decorated with a sea of bright red poinsettias and potted plants of live green ferns.

Many people come here to enjoy the view and take photos.

Do you like this view?

This is my entry for the fun and wonderful weekly meme, Scenic Sunday #125. To participate or view other pictures around the world, click on the icon above.

Reflection on a Christmas Bauble

2010-12-04T05:59:00.002+08:00

Shoppers at the Aeon Shopping Complex, Bandar Bukit Tinggi, Klang are reflected in this Christmas bauble. This year, once again the Christmas Tree is made of recycled materials, mainly plastic bottles.

According to wikipedia, "a Christmas bauble is also known as a Christmas ball in American English.
A bauble is a spherical decoration that is commonly used to adorn Christmas trees. The bauble is one of the most popular Christmas ornament design, and they have been in production since 1847. Baubles can have various designs on them, from "baby's first Christmas," to a favorite sports team. The Polish name for bauble is bombka which translates as "a little bomb".

Do you like baubles in your Christmas tree?

This is my entry for Weekend Reflections #63. To participate or view what others have posted for Weekend Reflections, please visit here.

Skywatch at Westlake Homes Kampar

2010-12-03T07:03:00.002+08:00

“A cloud does not know why it moves in just such a direction and at such a speed...

It feels an impulsion...this is the place to go now.

But the sky knows the reasons and the patterns behind all clouds,

and you will know, too,

when you lift yourself high enough to see beyond horizons.”

..... Richard Bach (American writer)

The view is from the students hostel in Westlake Homes, Kampar. I wonder why almost all the gates are opened.

So, how's your day today?

You see a silver lining in every cloud
You are on Cloud 9
You see a cloud behind every cloud
Something is hanging over you like a cloud
Your head is in the cloud

Anyway, I wish you 'Blue Skies and Everything Nice'!

For more Skywatch Friday Season 4 Episode 21 pictures and to participate, please visit the Skywatch site.

Lyssa zampa the Malaysian Brown Moth

2010-12-02T06:01:00.003+08:00

This "flying trapeze" found hanging upside down from my bamboo plant is about the size of my palm, which is 6 inches or 15cm in diameter. It can fly quite fast. Its common name is Laos Brown Butterfly. The scientific name is Lyssa zampa. It is a species of moth from the Uraniidae family commonly found in Malaysia and Indonesia. It's normal wing span is between 100-160mm and flies from June to August. Its larvae feeds on the endospermum species of plants. For further details, you can visit The Moths of Borneo's webpage here.

Do you like moths?

This is my entry for Thursday Challenge, the Photo Theme this week is BROWN (Animals, Soil, Coffee Beans, Trustees, Furniture,...). To view what others have for today, click here.

City Daily Photo Theme Day Dec 2010 - Time

2010-12-01T11:03:00.032+08:00

Here's a Team of Teddy Bears who are sharing our home. If by chance they can come alive, perhaps by magic, I am sure that they will Twist and Twirl and dance with joy to the Tunes of Telly Toons. Maybe you can recognise some of them, e.g. a few are from the McDonald's version of Ty's famous Teeny Beanie Babies and some are Alphabet Teddies. Theres a pair from Santa's household. Some are presents, some are from Happy Meals. The tiny brown bear holding a red heart is made of procelain. The big brown one is the most Treasured because it is a prize winning from a Throwing Games stall at Genting Highlands Theme Park. The white fluffy fella is a gift from someone special. My son nickname it Fluffy Bear and I call it Bulu-bulu Bear (meaning lots of hair). But of course my daughter has her own special name for it, afterall it is hers!

Today is City Daily Photo's Theme Day for December 2010. The theme is TIME.

Time, the cradle of hope....
Wisdom walks before it, opportunity with it, and repentance behind it:
he that has made it his friend will have little to fear from his enemies,
but he that has made it his enemy will have little to hope from his friends.
~Charles Caleb Colton

Today is also ABC Wednesday and the word is T!

T is for

..... TIME and my Treasures,

my Today's Team of Terrific Teddy Toys!

As I Think back Through Time, I realise that Teddy bears are now very much a part of our lives. From the time we were little until we reach adulthood, Teddy bears and Toys are great companions and they help to brighten up our lives. They are our shoulder to lean on, our pillow to cry on and our punching bag during our Turbulent Times of anger when we want to Throw Tantrums. Perhaps they also listen to our secrets. They may be a calm and constant companion to a frightened child during Terrifying nights of Thunderstorms and lightning flashes. Just like ice-cream, give a Teddy Bear to a child and you can see a smile light up.

Do you have a special Teddy Bear among your collection of treasures?

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Christmas Enchantments 2010 at the Pavilion KL

2010-11-30T14:57:00.008+08:00

Christmas came early at the Pavilion Kuala Lumpur. The theme this year is 'Enchantments'.

The kids here are taking part in the Little Santa Workshop supervised by Santa himself and his pretty assistant Lady Elf.

The activities planned during this period include:
’TIS A SNOWY CHRISTMAS 26 Nov – 26 Dec at 8pm
Catch the countless magical snowflakes of a white Christmas every night amidst a sea of giant baubles, charming gazebos and poinsettias in bloom at Bukit Bintang Entrance.

MEET SANTA & HIS ELF 25 Nov – 25 Dec 1pm & 3pm (except Mondays)
Donate RM10 and get your photo taken by us with Santa on his sleigh at Centre Court, Level 2.

SANTA WALKABOUT 25 Nov – 25 Dec 4pm (except Mondays)
Catch Santa for a photo opportunity around the mall.

LITTLE SANTA WORKSHOP 25 Nov – 25 Dec 11am (except Mondays)
Donate RM10 and join the workshop. Free for Pavilion Junior members when you flash your membership card. Limited to 20 children per session (4-12 years old).

CHRISTMAS STROLLERS 13 Nov – 31 Dec 5pm – 10pm (except Mondays)
Indulge in jazzy festive tunes by our stroller band around the mall.

CHRISTMAS CAROLLERS 26-28 Nov, 3-5, 7, 10-12, 17-19, 21-26 Dec 6pm & 7pm
Serenade to the joyful hymns of the Dithyrambic Singers at Centre Court, Level 2.
*Proceeds from charity go to the Special Children Society of Ampang

For further details regarding the happenings and events this season, you can visit the Pavilion KL website here.

This is my entry for That's My World Tuesday Season 3 Episode 8. MyWorld is the place where we become virtual tourists guides and show others the best of our world! To view what others have in their world, please visit here.

The Spirit of 1Malaysia - A Walk Down Memory Lane

2010-11-29T06:33:00.007+08:00

This picture taken in Ipoh in the 1950s post Independence days, shows a multi-racial mix of the youths of Malaysia where Chinese, Malays and Indians make up the biggest ethnic groups.

Our government has been promoting harmony among the races since then. Now we call it 1MALAYSIA. I don't know how they call it during my parents time, maybe MERDEKA? During my school days, it was MUHIBBAH.

Looking at this old picture,

Those days, people used eco-friendly paper bags to carry their stuff. I can even see adverts on it.
Ladies have short and curly Retro hairdos while the gentlemen's style were Groovy, greasy with Brylcreem
Fashion were wide knee-length swing skirts and small waist, hourglass figures were the rage for gals. For the guys it was jackets and khaki pants.

What do you think of the 1950s?

This is my entry for Weekend in Black and White, the link is here. My grateful thanks to Dragonstar.
This is also my first entry for Sepia Saturday Week 51, the link is here. My grateful thanks to Alan Burnett and Kat Mortensen.

Lost World Hot Springs & Spa at Tambun Ipoh

2010-11-28T06:43:00.007+08:00

The Lost World Hot Springs & Spa which opened its doors to the public on 1st Sept 2010 is the latest attraction at the Lost World of Tambun Theme Park in Ipoh, Perak. This place is good for a refreshing and invigorating open air dip among the calm and cool surroundings of scenic limestone hills.

Its features, according to a recent press release are:

The water in the hot springs and the thermal water in the pool are not recycled water. This is natural water from the Kopisan River which flows freely through the pools here.
Three million litres of thermal water percolate from the ground in Tambun and into the hot springs and spa daily and the hot water is maintained at 40 degree Celsius.
The thermal water contained minerals such as calcium carbonate, sodium, magnesium sulphate and iron, which are good for foot and skin problems as well as arthritis.
The facilities here include a new Infinity Pool, a Steam Cave, the Top of the World Jacuzzi Pool, the Geyser of Tambun, the Foot Spa and the Crystal Spa.

The entrance fee is at a special rate of RM12 per person if you visit the Hot Springs and Spa from 6pm to 10pm.

The admission ticket for the theme park is RM38 for adults and RM32 for children.

Address:

No. 1, Persiaran Lagun Sunway 1

Sunway City Ipoh

31150 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia

Tel: + 605 542 8888

Fax : + 605 542 8899

Email: lostworldoftambun@sunway.com.my

Website: http://www.sunwaylostworldoftambun.com/

Opening hours:

Monday – Friday 11 am – 6 pm

Saturday & Sunday 10 am – 6 pm

School & Public Holidays 10 am – 6 pm

CLOSED on every Tuesday except Malaysian school and public holidays.

Have you experienced the healing effects of a natural hot spring and do you think it works?

This is my entry for the fun and wonderful weekly meme, Scenic Sunday #124. To participate or view other pictures around the world, click on the icon above.

Reflections from a Golf Course Gym

2010-11-27T06:03:00.002+08:00

Fitness - if it came in a bottle, everybody would have a great body.

..... Cher

The wonderful part about this gym are the views of the outdoors from the glass windows.

beautiful sunsets in the distant skies
lush greenery with swaying palms and tall old trees
birds such as sparrows, magpies, kingfisher happily hopping around looking for food among the grass

This is my entry for Weekend Reflections #62. To participate or view what others have posted for Weekend Reflections, please visit here.

Sunset Over The Golf Course

2010-11-26T07:03:00.001+08:00

A beautiful sunset that was mistaken for a dawn.

..... Claude Debussy

I witness this sunset over the Bukit Kemuning Golf and Country Resort in Shah Alam while going for a mild workout at the gym.

For more Skywatch Friday Season 4 Episode 20 pictures and to participate, please visit the Skywatch site.

An Impending Storm

2010-11-25T09:43:00.000+08:00

When we see such dark clouds over the sky, usually it will rain heavily. However, sometimes, the sky clear up and the sun shines again.

How's the weather in your place?

This is my entry for Thursday Challenge, the Photo Theme this week is WEATHER (Snow, Sun, Cloudy, Rain, Lightening, Rainbow, Tornado,...). To view what others have for today, click here.

Public Holiday at Suria KLCC

2010-11-24T00:03:00.003+08:00

During public holidays and weekends, Suria KLCC is very crowded with foreing workers and tourists. They like to hang out in front of the Suria KLCC main entrance. KLCC Park is nearby but not many visitors go there.

Today is ABC Wednesday

S is for .....

Suria KLCC!

Wishing Fountain at Kwan Yin Tong Cave Temple Ipoh

2010-11-23T00:03:00.003+08:00

Another attraction at Kwan Yin Tong Cave Temple, Ipoh is this water feature. The area is designed like the Japanese wishing fountain. So make a wish while you step on the stones and cross from one end to the other.

This is my entry for That's My World Tuesday Season 3 Episode 7. MyWorld is the place where we become virtual tourists guides and show others the best of our world! To view what others have in their world, please visit here.

Ipoh in the 1950s - A Walk Down Memory Lane

2010-11-22T07:23:00.000+08:00

My maternal grandfather took this picture in front of the new houses that he sells for a living during the 1950s in Ipoh town.

Do you think these house resemble any of those we have now?

This is my entry for this week's The Weekend In Black And White. My grateful thanks to Dragonstar for hosting this wonderful site. To participate or view the world in monochrome, please click here.

Rose Centre Cameron Highlands

2010-11-21T21:13:00.002+08:00

At the Rose Centre located at Kea Farm in Cameron Highlands there are hundreds of varieties of roses in all colours of the rainbow for everyone to enjoy, planted and spread over a 10-level terraced garden. Here, you can also find roses without thorns. Other flowers such as dahlias, gerbera daisies, fuchias, sunflowers, jade vines, chrysanthemums and orchids that bloom throughout the year. Beautiful fountains and pergolas add a romantic charm to the whole place. This is definitely a place to go to for flower lovers, photography enthusiasts and also couples in love.

Kea Farm is about 5 km from Brinchang. It is reputed to be the coolest village and biggest tourist center in Cameron Highlands.

Visiting Hours

Open daily : 8.00am - 6.00pm

Entrance fee: RM 4.00 (adult) and RM 2.00 (children)

Contact Details

Tel/Fax : 605-496 2989

Email : rosectr@po.jaring.my

This is my entry for the fun and wonderful weekly meme, Scenic Sunday #123. To participate or view other pictures around the world, click on the icon above.

The Lotus Pond at Westlake Bandar Baru Kampar

2010-11-20T06:55:00.001+08:00

The view from the lotus pond at Westlake, Bandar Baru Kampar. The Bandar Baru Kampar township is located at the foot of the blue mountains and beside the scenic Westlake, an ex-mining pool which has been converted into a beautiful lotus pond with recreational park facilities.

The white building with dome shaped structure you see in the background is Hotel Grand Kampar and the surrounding area is the Bandar Baru Kampar township. Westlake homes which is a popular choice for UTAR students for accommodation is just visible on the far right. The pathway with telephone poles on the left is actually the main road leading UTAR campus.

This is my entry for Weekend Reflections #61. To participate or view what others have posted for Weekend Reflections, please visit here.

Riding into the Storm

2010-11-19T11:09:00.000+08:00

If you want to see the sunshine, you have to weather the storm.

..... Frank Lane

For more Skywatch Friday Season 4 Episode 19 pictures and to participate, please visit the Skywatch site.

The Gift of Time

2010-11-18T19:03:00.000+08:00

Men talk of killing time, while time quietly kills them.

~Dion Boucicault

When we are buying gifts for someone, there are some taboos to observe in my culture. If you are buying a WATCH as a gift to your boyfriend or girldfrind, it is OK. In Cantonese, there is a saying, "piew sum" where 'piew' stands for watch and it also sounds like grab or take away, while 'sum' means the heart. So it shall mean wining his/her heart.

If you give a CLOCK to an old man or woman, especially on his or her birthday, it is TABOO! This would mean that you are telling the poor fella that his/her time is up!

Therefore, do be careful when choosing the gift of time as presents to someone.

What kind of gifts would you like or not like to receive?

This is my entry for Thursday Challenge, the Photo Theme this week is TIME (Hourglass, Clock, Sundial, Calendar, Wristwatch, Old, Young, Aging,...). To view what others have for today, click here.

The Meaning of Red Roses

2010-11-17T06:23:00.010+08:00

Ladies love to receive red roses from someone special. Usually it is the gentlemen who give and the ladies who receive. I wonder if anyone would like to change this rule?

Today is ABC Wednesday!

R is for .....

REAL RED ROSES!

Rosebuds symbolises beauty, youth and a heart innocent of love. The message is, "You are young and beautiful, pure and lovely".

Roses symbolize sincere love, respect, courage and passion.

A single rose in full bloom signifies simplicity, the message is "I Love You!"

Rose leaves are symbols of hope.

So guys, there is no need to burn a hole in your pocket for 365 or 1,999 roses for that special occassion. One single Rose is enough to say the magic words. It is the thought that counts.

When I Read my first Romance novel, I was so impressed I made a vow that I will marry the first guy who gave me a Red Rose. Luckily that Reliable guy was my hubby! I kept a piece of the dried leaf from that stalk, tucked among the Rough, dogeared pages of my favourite old English dictionary. This year will be our 23 years together as husband and wife. As for the Rose Requirement for special occassions, I have already waived that long ago because, upon my own Realisation and in Reality now, I understand what is the Real meaning of true love, saving money, Responsibility and caring for the family and friends who will always Rise to the occassion in my greatest moment of need. Even during my times of Rest and Relaxation, I do Recall that my biggest Reward shall be the Rich blessings of joyful moments we Reap as we Ride this Real journey of life together, Round after Round.

Do you remember your first Red Rose/Roses?
Did that memory last a lifetime?
Will a plastic Rose be just as good?

P/S: The above picture was taken at Cameron Highlands by my daughter, Kristin.

Love Declaration at Kwan Yin Tong Cave Temple Ipoh

2010-11-16T15:13:00.000+08:00

Couples can write their love declaration, wishes and dreams on heart shaped paper and tie them to the red strings here.

If you are here, will you write your love declaration and hang it up for all to see?

This is my entry for That's My World Tuesday Season 3 Episode 6. MyWorld is the place where we become virtual tourists guides and show others the best of our world! To view what others have in their world, please visit here.

A Chinese Fairy in Monochrome

2010-11-15T06:33:00.002+08:00

This statue of a Chinese fairy is found at the centuries old Guan Yin Temple in Klang.

This is my entry for this week's The Weekend In Black And White. My grateful thanks to Dragonstar for hosting this wonderful site. To participate or view the world in monochrome, please click here.

A Fantasy Water Fountain in Cameron Highlands

2010-11-14T18:13:00.001+08:00

"The gift of fantasy has meant more to me than my talent for absorbing positive knowledge."

..... Albert Einstein

Would you like some fantasy in life?

This is my entry for the fun and wonderful weekly meme, Scenic Sunday #122. To participate or view other pictures around the world, click on the icon above.

Lakeview of UTAR Main Campus Kampar

2010-11-13T06:33:00.003+08:00

The buildings across the lake belongs to University Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) main campus in Kampar, Perak. It is located off the North South Highway about 190 km or 2 hours drive from Kuala Lumpur city. Kampar is a century old, ex-mining, historical town with scenic blue mountains and tranquil lakes. Hopefully this place is a conducive environment for students to study, away from the congestions and distractions of a big city.

The campus master plan was designed by an internationally renowned educational planning consultant and sits on 1,300 acres of land.

A ground breaking ceremony was held on 12 January 2003 officiated by YABhg Dato' Seri Dr Mahathir Bin Mohamad, then Prime Minister of Malaysia, who delivered the keynote address as the guest of honour.

UTAR campus opened its doors to the first batch of students in May 2007. By July 2009, there were already more than 16,000 students studying here.

UTAR address is as follows:

Jalan Universiti

Bandar Barat

31900 Kampar, Perak

Tel: 605-468 8888

Fax: 605-466 1313

If you were a student, do you prefer the campus to be located in the countryside, a small city or a big city?

This is my entry for Weekend Reflections #60. To participate or view what others have posted for Weekend Reflections, please visit here.

Nimbus Clouds Along The North South Highway

2010-11-12T00:03:00.000+08:00

Can you smell the rain?

Our annual Northeast Monsoon season has started early this month. The northern states of Perlis, Kedah and the East Coast are expected to experience heavy rainfall of between 500-900mm during this whole month. For other states, it will be between 200-300mm. Floods have already started in Perlis and Kedah.

While people in the Northern Hemisphere have a white Christmas and the Southern Hemisphere have a hot one, we shall experience a wet Christmas!

For more Skywatch Friday Season 4 Episode 18 pictures and to participate, please visit the Skywatch site.

Thursday Photo Hunt # 239 Itchy

2010-11-11T05:51:00.002+08:00

The theme for PhotoHunt # 239 this week is ITCHY.

Queuing A Part of Life?

2010-11-10T05:57:00.006+08:00

Today is ABC Wednesday!

Q is for .....

Queue!

Genting Highlands is a popular tourist destination in Malaysia. Locals like to visit this place too, especially during festivals and public holidays. With theme parks, beautiful gardens, shoping outlets, eateries, entertainment and casinos, there is bound to be something for every member in the family. It is crowded the whole year round.

Whenever I visit this holiday resort, queing will be part of my daily routine, from the time I arrive to the time I leave for home. I queue to:

check in
to have my daily meals, i.e. breakfast, lunch, tea, dinner, supper
to play games, e.g. queue for an hour to take a ride that lasts only a few minutes!
to find parking
to take rides, e.g. cable car, shuttle service,
to pay money
to take turns when taking photographs of a popular landmark
to check out to go home
then, queue in a traffic jam all the way home!

I consider myself lucky when people are willing to queue and I don't have to rush, push and shove. But when there are too many people and a very long queue, I spend lots and lots of time queueing and it is very tiring and time wasting. If I get a tummy upset, then the last thing I wanna do is get stuck in the middle of the theme park, queuing for the washroom.

I come here to enjoy myself but it looks like I must allocate a lot of time to QUEUE!

Do you have such an experience in your favourite tourisy destination?

Wishing Tree at Kwan Yin Tong Cave Temple Ipoh

2010-11-09T00:03:00.005+08:00

This is the Wishing Tree at Kwan Yin Tong Cave Temple in Jalan Raja Nazrin Shah, Ipoh. It is designed like the Hong Kong Wishing Tree. The 12.16m (about 4 storeys ) tall tree here is said to carry the spirit of a Tibetan deity who can grant wishes.

People can write their wishes on red and yellow joss paper tied to an orange and throw them up to hang on the tree. If successful, the wishes will come true. It is believed that the higher it is hung, the better the chances of the wishes coming true. If you are not successful within 3 throwing attempts, it would mean that your wish is too greedy!

The temple is opened daily and has been visited by many people, local and foreign. Anyone can come here to make a wish. The temple secretary is Mr Ho You Meng.

If you happen to be here, will you try this feat?

This is my entry for That's My World Tuesday Season 3 Episode 5. MyWorld is the place where we become virtual tourists guides and show others the best of our world! To view what others have in their world, please visit here.

Beauty in Black and White at i-City Shah Alam

2010-11-08T05:37:00.001+08:00

“Shades of grey wherever I go

The more I find out the less that I know

Black and white is how it should be

But shades of grey are the colors I see.”

..... Billy Joel (American pianist, songwriter, singer)

The trees in the picture are lighted up with white colour LCD lights. They look nice when contrasted against the pitch dark sky. Photo taken with the newly released Casio Exilim EX-Z16 camera.

How do you see the world?

People who see the world only in extremes are considered 'black and white thinkers'. In their views, life is either black or white, it is either you love or hate something because it is either bad or good. Similarly a person is either clever or stupid and if things are not perfect, then it is terrible! Experts call this primitive thinking, like a child who view things as either black or white when they pick up their vocabulary and learn to organise their thoughts. However, for adults, this extreme view of life may contribute to depression, craze for perfection and negative thinking. It may be good to learn to see the beautiful shades of gray to add some zest of colour in living our lives.

1. Do you think that black and white thinkers are
a) focused and know what they want out of life, or
b) very rigid and stubborn?

2. Do you think that there are more males than females or equal in numbers of black and white thinkers?

This is my entry for this week's The Weekend In Black And White. My grateful thanks to Dragonstar for hosting this wonderful site. To participate or view the world in monochrome, please click here.

Student Accommodation at UTAR Main Campus in Kampar

2010-11-07T06:39:00.003+08:00

This view is takan from the Tsing Hua Hostel at Westlake Homes, Kampar. It is situated in a valley surrounded by blue mountains. It is so nice to see mountains everywhere I went in Kampar town. However, I noticed that the weather here is much warmer than Kuala Lumpur.

Westlake Homes is a residential property located nearest to University Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) main campus in Kampar. When I first came here to look for accommodation for my daughter, a friend whose husband is doing is doctorate at UTAR recommended Danish House. There is a large student population here and the place may be fully booked whenever a new semester begins.

Student accommodation here is managed by Danish House Sdn Bhd. You can view the room rates at UTAR website here.

Facilities

a.Each room has bed, mattress, wardrobe, study table, chair, curtains, ceiling fan, ceiling light.
b.The common area, i.e. living room or hall is equiped with refrigerator, table, chairs, ceiling fan.
c.Bathroom has water heater, some at attached bathrooms.

Services
a.Laundry service: Up to 7 kg per week (4 times per month).
b.Cleaning service: cleaning for common areas on a weekly basis.
c.24 hours security service.
d.Inclusive of internet broadband service

There is a grocery store, vegetarian food stall, computer and printing services shop here. There are also a few food delivery service operators where you can order from a printed menu. At least with many details taken care of, we parents have less worries but it certainly would burn a big hole in our pockets.

I heard that property prices here are very high. A 22' by 70' terrace house with 3 storeys and 8 rooms, 5 baths can easily cost up to RM half a million! This is the same price of a semi-detached double storey house in Klang and maybe a bungalow in smaller towns.

The new township next to UTAR campus is called Kampar New Town. There are more convenience shops, mamak shops, chinese restaurants, cyber cafes and shops selling stuffs that student need. There is also a hotel in new town. Once a week there is a pasar malam (night market) on Wednesdays. During the weekends, students can go to old town to sample Kampar's local cuisine and lifestyle. Watsons and KFC are already here. McDonald's just open its doors last month at Kampar new town.

This is my entry for the fun and wonderful weekly meme, Scenic Sunday #121. To participate or view other pictures around the world, click on the icon above.

The Lotus Pond Near UTAR Campus Kampar

2010-11-06T06:33:00.003+08:00

There is a beautiful lotus pond near to the UTAR campus in Kampar. The 3-storey high houses in the background are popular among students from KTAR and UTAR. Many of the units are managed by Danish House but they are some houses which are individually owned and occupied by the home owners or rented out. The whole area is called West Lake. From our experience, Danish House is good choice for students' accommodation as they are properly managed and they provide adequate and efficient service (e.g. cleaning services, laundry, broadband internet access). Moreover, it is a gated and guarded enclave. However, the prices for food and accommodation here are very expensive, or should I say the most expensive in Perak state. It is like staying in a hotel resort! Pity the parents who are financing their children through tertiary education.

The most economical and common mode of transportation for students here is by bicycle as the buses are few, far between and always overcrowded. Of course, there are some lucky ones who own motobikes and cars to commute.

UTAR stands for University Tunku Abdul Rahman
KTAR stands for Kolej Tunku Abdul Rahman (a college)

I hope you can see the reflections of the blue sky and white clouds on the water.

This is my entry for Weekend Reflections #59. To participate or view what others have posted for Weekend Reflections, please visit here.

Skywatch at i-City Shah Alam

2010-11-05T07:17:00.002+08:00

The night sky at i-city Shah Alam.

For more Skywatch Friday Season 4 Episode 17 pictures and to participate, please visit the Skywatch site.

Auspicious Cross Stitch Designs

2010-11-04T11:11:00.003+08:00

The above are cross stitch motifs done by my daughter. Despite her busy school work and exam schedule, she loves doing handicraft. The first image is the picture of our Wealth God carrying a gold ingot. We display his image for good fortune and prosperity. The second is a happy couple, very auspicious to promote a loving marriage or harmonious relationship.

She needs some ideas for the second piece. Do you think the second design is suited for a pillow case or frammed picture?

This is my entry for Thursday Challenge, the Photo Theme this week is CRAFTS (Supplies, Knitting, Crocheting, Woodworking, Pottery, Painting,...). To view what others have for today, click here.

Peacock Rangoli for Deepavali

2010-11-03T05:15:00.000+08:00

Today is ABC Wednesday.

P is for .....

Peacock!

This is a rangoli of a peacock. Rangoli is an ancient folk art and Indian tradition. Rangolis are said to attract good luck, hence they are very popular during Deepavali season and we see a lot of them at the entrances or coutyards of shopping complexes, business offices and homes.

The peacock is the national bird of India and it enjoys full protection under the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

In feng shui, the heavenly Phoenix is considered king of all our feathered friends. The peacock is also an auspicious symbol. It is placed in the south to attract great opportunity luck and in the southwest to promote harmony among the family members.

A Purple Elephant For A Happy Deepavali

2010-11-02T05:39:00.004+08:00

Deepavali, a Hindu festival will be celebrated this coming Friday, 5th November. This stage decoration with a purple elephant can be viewed at Aeon Shopping Centre, Bandar Bukit Tinggi, Klang.

The Hindu god, Ganesha or Ganesh the elephant god is worshipped as the lord of success and destroyer of evil and obstacles. He is also regarded as the god of education, knowledge, wisdom and wealth.

In Sri Lanka, elephants holds a place of high esteem in their culture. You can see them in religious processions, in wars, as a mode of transportation, in the logging industry and also objects of pagentry.

Elephants are intelligent creatures. They are much loved in Asia and regarded as symbols of wisdom, strength, power and longevity. In Western cultures, elephants are regarded as exotic. A 'white elephant' would mean something expensive, useless and bizzare. But in Thailand, a white elephant is regarded as a holy animal. According to Buddhist scriptures, Buddha's mother, Queen Maya, dreamt that a white bull elephant with six white tusks and carrying a lotus in its trunk entered into her from the right side. She became pregnant and ten months later Prince Siddhartha was born. The elephant is regarded as one of the 7 treasures of Buddhism.

In feng shui, a pair of ceramic elephants is displayed inside the home or flanking both sides of entrances to attract good fortune. In Chinese culture, pictures of children seated on elephants depict good fortune. Childless women hang a picture of the elephant in the bedroom to increase their chances of getting a male child.

Do you have any elephants stories to share?

HAPPY DEEPAVALI!

This is my entry for That's My World Tuesday Season 3 Episode 4. MyWorld is the place where we become virtual tourists guides and show others the best of our world! To view what others have in their world, please visit here.

CDP Theme Day - November 2010

2010-11-01T05:35:00.002+08:00

Customers at the Mines Shopping Centre get to enjoy the added attraction of water taxis which provide daily cruise services for sightseeing around the Mines Resort City. The Minds Resort City include Mines Wonderland, Mines Resort and Golf Club, Palace of the Golden Horses Hotel and Minds International Exhibition and Convention Centre.

There is a canal that runs right into the shopping complex and connects to the North Lake and South Lake. It will be like a mini Venice experience for those who take the cruise. The types of services available include DME (dining, meeting and entertainment), sunset, massage, sightseeing and commute cruise. For more information, click here.

Today is City Daily Photo theme day, the theme is Public Transportation.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Camelback Mountain View at UTAR Kampar

2010-10-31T06:33:00.003+08:00

Students who are on their way to the Kampar campus of UTAR often see this view of blue mountains in the background. The two mountains on the left are nicknamed 'Camelback Mountain' because they resemble the humps of a camel. The building on the right is UTAR. It looks like good fengshui with this stretch of overlapping mountains at the back providing the support and there are also 2 lakes some distance away from the main entrance for good wealth chi.

The famous Camelback Mountain is located in Arizona, USA.

Utah is a western state in USA. Utar is the acronym for University Tunku Abdul Rahman in Malaysia.

This is my entry for the fun and wonderful weekly meme, Scenic Sunday #120. To participate or view other pictures around the world, click on the icon above.

Lantern Parade of LED lights at i-City Shah Alam

2010-10-30T23:11:00.002+08:00

All the lanterns are made of LED lights here at i-City, Shah Alam. This city is also known as the City of Digital Lights and it is a tourism attraction.

This is my entry for Weekend Reflections #58. To participate or view what others have posted for Weekend Reflections, please visit here.

Skywatch Friday - Sunset

2010-10-29T16:33:00.000+08:00

“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning,

but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”

..... Maria Robinson

I hope your day ended well today and you have a great weekend ahead.

For more Skywatch Friday Season 4 Episode 16 pictures and to participate, please visit the Skywatch site.

Thursday Challenge - Messy !

2010-10-28T00:03:00.001+08:00

Sometimes, people like to select the roadside and use the public lamp post as a reference point for dumping unwanted items. Occassionally, you'll find sofa sets, bed sets and other furniture items.

If rubbish is packed properly for disposal and put at the back of the house, City Hall will collect it a few times every week.

Messy?
What is the procedure when dealing with rubbish in your area?

This is my entry for Thursday Challenge, the Photo Theme this week is MESSY (Children, Rooms, Garage, Yard, Disorganized, Hair,...). To view what others have for today, click here.

Orchids at Strawberry Farm Genting Highlands

2010-10-27T06:01:00.000+08:00

Today is ABC Wednesday

O is for .....

ORCHIDS!

A Rock Garden at FGS Dong Zen Temple Jenjarom

2010-10-26T05:37:00.003+08:00

Rock gardens with kois are very popular in Chinese, Japanese and Fengshui styled gardens.

Do you like rock gardens or perhaps have one at home?

This is my entry for Watery Wednesday # 111, the link is here.

Thousand-Hand Guan Yin

2010-10-25T18:09:00.008+08:00

A statue of the Thousand Hand Guan Yin (千手观音) or Goddess of Mercy at the Chin Swee Temple Vegetarian Restaurant in Genting Highlands.

Guan Yin is the short form for "Guan Shi Yin" (觀世音). Guan means to watch; Shi means the world and Yin means the sounds of the people who are suffering and pray to her for help. Guan Yin is full of compassion, hence she is known as the Goddess of Mercy. She watches over and responds to us, the mortal beings who seek her help. Guan Yin is a bodhisattva, meaning one who has attained enlightenment.

According to legend, Guanyin has made a vow to never rest until she had freed all sentient beings from samsara or reincarnation. Despite strenuous effort, she realized that there were still many unhappy beings yet to be saved. After struggling to comprehend the needs of so many, her head split into eleven pieces. Amitabha Buddha, seeing her plight, gave her eleven heads with which to hear the cries of the suffering. Upon hearing these cries and comprehending them, Guan Yin attempted to reach out to all those who needed aid, but found that her two arms shattered into pieces. Once more, Amitabha came to her aid and bestowed her a thousand arms with which to aid the many. Many Himalayan versions of the tale include eight arms with which Avalokitesvara (Guan Yin) skillfully upholds the Dharma, each possessing its own particular implement, while more Chinese-specific versions give varying accounts of this number. (Source: Wikipedia)

Can you see the many faces of Buddhas arrange in a circle on top of her head?
Do you know that authentic statues of Guan Yin should have a buddha image on top of her head?

The Thousand-Hand Guan Yin is often depicted with many hands and many faces, signifying the many methods she can see, hear and offer assistance.

This is my entry for Mellow Yellow Monday # 92. To participate of view what others have for MYM today, please click on the picture icon above.

This is also my entry for That's My World Tuesday Season 3 Episode 3. MyWorld is the place where we become virtual tourists guides and show others the best of our world! To view what others have in their world, please visit here.

Lakeview at Putrajaya Princinct 1

2010-10-24T21:23:00.005+08:00

I snaped this photo of the scenic view across the lake at Putrajaya Pricinct 1, the venue of Floria 2010. After I downloaded the picture, I saw this couple who happened to pass by. Somehow, they seem to complement and fit into the picture nicely. Actually the venue was very crowded during the flora show and it is very difficult to get a picture without anybody in it. The steel structure on the top right corner is part of the famous Sri Wawasan Bridge.

This is my entry for the fun and wonderful weekly meme, Scenic Sunday #119. To participate or view other pictures around the world, click on the icon above.

October is The Month of Holloween

2010-10-23T22:33:00.009+08:00

Halloween celebrations is underway at the 1-Utama Shopping Complex, Petaling Jaya. I was admiring the ghostly masks and paraphernalia displayed at the Balloon Buzz stall when I saw this spotting model who was so kind to pose for me.

In case you need to plan for a hassle free theme party, their details are as follows:

Balloon Buzz Party Centre
One Utama Shopping Mall
LG212B, Lorong Ground Floor (Promenade Zone)
Petaling Jaya, Malaysia
Tel: 603-7710 3827
Email: bboneutama@gmail.com

Services rendered: Party supplies, balloon decor and delivery, balloon printing, clown service, face painting.

Are you attending any Halloween parties?

This is my entry for Weekend Reflections #57. To participate or view what others have posted for Weekend Reflections, please visit here.

Sunset Along The Highway

2010-10-22T00:03:00.010+08:00

"What I do today is important because I am exchanging a day of my life for it."

..... Author Unknown

Did you have a fruitful day today?

For more Skywatch Friday Season 4 Episode 15 pictures and to participate, please visit the Skywatch site.